Camellia kissii Wall.

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.

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—September.

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 shrubs, about 2-5 m tall, bark grayish brown, older branches glabrous, branchlets slender, pubescent. Leaves simple, alternate, narrow elliptic-oblong to oblanceolate-oblong, about 4-16 x 0.8-2 cm across, base cuneate, margins serrulate and usually slightly revolute, apex acuminate to long acuminate, coriaceous, membranous, shining, green glabrous above except the midrib and paler sparsely hairy or glabrescent beneath, midrib impressed above and prominent beneath, lateral veins 6-9, faint on either side of the midrib, petiole glabrescent or hairy, about 2-5 mm long, exstipulate. Inflorescence axillary or subterminal, solitary or paired. Flowers bisexual, white, fragrant, about 3 cm across, pedicel slender, about 2 mm long, bracteoles caducous, sepals 5, perulate, imbricate, unequal, broadly ovate-orbicular, base connate, glabrous inside, silky pubescent outside, caducous, differentiated from the bracts towards petals, about 1-6 mm long, petals 6-7, imbricate, white, obovate, glabrous inside, sparsely pubescent towards the apex outside, about 10-15 x 6-9 mm 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 5-10 mm long, anthers dorsifixed, 2 loculed, yellow, dehiscing by longitudinally or laterally, ovary superior, globose, 1 locular, densely villous with white hairs, about 3-5 x 2 mm long, axile placentation, style 3-fid, hairy near the base, about 3-7 mm long. Fruit capsule, subglobose-ellipsoid, about 1.5-2.5 x 1.5-2 cm across, woody, usually 1 loculed because of abortion, apiculate, with persistent central axis. Seeds subglobose-ovoid, about 1 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.

Tropical and subtropical forests, altitude up to 1500 m.

Not evaluated (IUCN).