Camellia sinensis Camellia sinensis Camellia sinensis is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea. It is of the genus "Camellia" () of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. Common names include "tea plant", "tea shrub", and "tea tree" (not to be confused with "Melaleuca alternifolia", the source of tea tree oil, or "Leptospermum scoparium", the New Zealand Tea Tree). "Camellia sinensis" var. "sinensis" and "Camellia sinensis" var. "assamica", are two major varieties grown today. White tea, yellow tea, green tea, oolong, dark tea (which includes pu-erh tea) and black tea are
Camellia japonica a long time. One of the most important plants related to "Camellia japonica" is the "Camellia sinensis", which is the plant tea comes from. This plant is not usually grown in gardens because it has small white flowers, unlike the "Camellia japonica", which has larger, more beautiful flowers. It is not seen in art as often as the "Camellia japonica", but it is shown in a painting called the "Song Hundred Flowers" which hangs in the Palace Museum in Beijing. "Camellia sinensis" may have been used as medicine during the Shang Dynasty. It was first used for drinking during the