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 sinensis popular teas. "C. sinensis" var. "waldenae" was considered a different species, "Camellia waldenae" by SY Hu, but it was later identified as a variety of "C. sinensis". This variety is commonly called Waldenae Camellia. It is seen on Sunset Peak and Tai Mo Shan in Hong Kong. It is also distributed in Guangxi province, China. Three main kinds of tea are produced in India: Tea leaves are eaten by some herbivores, like the caterpillars of the willow beauty ("Peribatodes rhomboidaria"), a geometer moth. Although health benefits have been assumed throughout the history of using "Camellia sinensis" as a common beverage,