Tea plant is an evergreen shrub or small tree that is usually trimmed to
below 2 m when cultivated for its leaves. It has a strong taproot. The
flowers are yellow-white, 2.5–4 cm in diameter, with 7 to 8 petals.
The seeds of tea plant can be pressed to yield tea oil, a sweetish
seasoning and cooking oil. The leaves are 4–15 cm long and 2–5 cm broad.
Fresh leaves contain about 4% caffeine. The young, light green leaves are
preferably harvested for tea production; they have short white hairs on the
underside. Older leaves are deeper green. Different leaf ages produce
differing tea qualities, since their chemical compositions are different.
Usually, the tip (bud) and the first two to three leaves are harvested for
processing. This hand picking is repeated every one to two weeks. Tea plant
is native to mainland South and Southeast Asia, but is today cultivated
across the world, in tropical and subtropical regions.
Identification credit: Prashant Awale
Photographed in cultivation.
• Is this flower misidentified?
If yes,
Your name: Your email: Your comments
The flower labeled Tea is ...