UBC Department of Asian Studies in Buddhist tradition. The design (courtesy of Asian Studies MA student in Japanese Literature and Visual Culture and graphic designer Julien Butterlin) does indeed gesture in this direction, but the flower depicted is in fact that of Camellia sinensis or Thea sinensis, the tea plant whence many teas are derived. A genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae, Camellia sinensis is used to harvest white tea, green tea, oolong, pu-erh tea and black tea. Tea is the second-most widely consumed beverage in the world after water, and has played and continues to play such a central role in all
Camellia sinensis Asia, but it is today cultivated across the world in tropical and subtropical regions. Camellia sinensis is an evergreen shrub or small tree that is usually trimmed to below when cultivated for its leaves. It has a strong taproot. The flowers are yellow-white, in diameter, with 7 to 8 petals. The seeds of "Camellia sinensis" and "Camellia oleifera" can be pressed to yield tea oil, a sweetish seasoning and cooking oil that should not be confused with tea tree oil, an essential oil that is used for medical and cosmetic purposes, and originates from the leaves of a different plant.