Black tea Black tea Black tea is a type of tea that is more oxidized than oolong, green, and white teas. Black tea is generally stronger in flavour than the less oxidized teas. All four types are made from leaves of the shrub (or small tree) "Camellia sinensis." Two principal varieties of the species are used – the small-leaved Chinese variety plant ("C. sinensis" var. "sinensis"), used for most other types of teas, and the large-leaved Assamese plant ("C. sinensis" var. "assamica"), which was traditionally mainly used for black tea, although in recent years some green and white teas have been produced.
Camellia sinensis Robert Sweet shifted all formerly "Thea" species to the genus "Camellia" in 1818. The name "sinensis" means "from China" in Latin. Four varieties of "Camellia sinensis" are recognized. Of these, "C. sinensis" var. "sinensis" and "C. sinensis" var. "assamica" (JW Masters) Kitamura are most commonly used for tea, and "C. sinensis" var. "pubilimba" Hung T. Chang and "C. sinensis" var. "dehungensis" (Hung T. Chang & BH Chen) TL Ming are sometimes used locally. There are hundreds, if not thousands of cultivars of "C. sinensis." Some Japanese cultivars include: "Camellia sinensis" is native to East Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast