Camellia japonica L.

Camellia species are evergreen trees or shrubs. Leaves simple, alternate or rarely subopposite, lanceolate-ovate to oblanceolate-oblong, base acute to obtuse, margins serrate, rarely entire, apex acute to acuminate, coriaceous, membranous to leathery, midrib impressed above and prominent beneath, petiolate, sessile or amplexicaul, exstipulate. Inflorescence axillary or subterminal, solitary or fascicled. Flowers bisexual, pedicel short or sessile, bracteoles persistent or caducous, sepals 5-6, imbricate, unequal, base connate, differentiated from the bracts towards petals, petals 5-8, imbricate, red, yellow, base shortly connate, stamens numerous, in 2-6 partially connate to form ring or tube, unequal, 5-12 towards the centre free, base adnate to petals, anthers dorsifixed, 2 loculed, dehiscing by longitudinally or laterally, ovary superior, globose, 3-5 locular, axile placentation, ovules 3-5 in each locule, style 3-5, base free or partially connate. Fruit capsule, globose, woody, usually 1 loculed because of abortion or sometimes more, with persistent central axis. Seeds subglobose-ovoid or angular, embryo thick, erect, exalbuminous and with high oil content.

Shrub/ Tree

Camellia species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: January—October.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Evergreen small trees or shrubs, about 1-4 m tall, bark grayish brown, branchlets slender, purplish brown, glabrous. Leaves simple, alternate, elliptic-oblong, about 4-12 x 2-5 cm across, base acute to cuneate, margins serrate to serrulate, apex acuminate or obtuse with acuminate tip, coriaceous, membranous, shining, dark green glabrous above and paler beneath, midrib yellowish green slightly prominent above and prominent beneath, lateral veins 6-10, faint on either side of the midrib, petiole glabrous or sparsely pubescent above, about 5-10 mm long, exstipulate. Inflorescence axillary or subterminal, solitary or paired. Flowers bisexual, white, pink, red, multicolored and showy, about 5-8 cm across, pedicel slender, subsessile, about 3-4 mm long, bracteoles 4, ovate, deltoid, green, persistent, about 1-2 mm long, sepals 9, imbricate, unequal, ovate-orbicular, base connate, subglabrous or sparsely pubescent on both sides, differentiated from the bracts towards petals, petals 6 or more, imbricate, white, obovate, glabrous inside, densely pubescent towards the apex outside, base shortly connate, about 3-5 x 1.8-2.5 cm across, stamens numerous, in 2-6 partially connate to form ring or tube, unequal, 5-12 towards the centre free, outer ones connate till middle, villous, base adnate to petals, about 2.5-3.5 cm long, anthers dorsifixed, 2 loculed, yellow, dehiscing by longitudinally or laterally, ovary superior, globose, 3 locular, densely villous with white hairs, about 3 cm long, axile placentation, ovules 1-2 in each locule, style 3-fid, about 2.5-3 cm long. Fruit capsule, globose-ellipsoid, about 2.5 x 4 cm across, woody, usually 1 loculed because of abortion, apiculate, with persistent central axis. Seeds subglobose-ovoid, about 1-2 cm across, brown, glabrous, embryo thick, erect, exalbuminous and with high oil content.

Camellia species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus and fungi, affecting leaves, fruits and roots.

Notes: Western Ghats & Eastern Ghats, Cultivated, Native of East Asiatic Region

Forested areas

Cultivated in gardens, Native of Japan.

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Cultivated as ornamental.