Pu'er tea the "ripe" Shou Chá. All types of pu'er tea are created from "máochá" (毛茶), a mostly unoxidized green tea processed from "Camellia sinensis" var. "assamica", which is the large leaf type of Chinese tea found in the mountains of southern and western Yunnan (in contrast to the small leaf type of tea used for typical green, oolong, black, and yellow teas found in the other parts of China). Maocha can be sold directly to market as loose leaf tea, compressed to produce "raw" "shēngchá", naturally aged and matured for several years before being compressed to also produce "raw" "shēngchá" or
Camellia number of "Lepidoptera" species; see List of Lepidoptera that feed on Camellia. Leaves of the Japanese camellia ("C. japonica") are susceptible to the fungal parasite "Mycelia sterile" (see below for the significance). "Camellia sinensis", the tea plant, is of major commercial importance because tea is made from its leaves. The species "C. sinensis" is the product of many generations of selective breeding in order to bring out qualities considered desirable for tea. However, many other camellias can be used to produce a similar beverage. For example, in some parts of Japan, tea made from "C. sasanqua" leaves is popular. Tea