China tea plant

The tea plant, scientifically known as Camellia sinensis, is an evergreen flowering plant prized for its young leaves and buds, which are used to produce the beverage tea. This plant belongs to the genus Camellia within the tea family, Theaceae.12

There are two main commercial varieties: the small-leaved China plant (C. sinensis var. sinensis) and the large-leaved Assam plant (C. sinensis var. assamica), with hybrids also being cultivated. The tea plant's natural habitat spans from the India-Myanmar frontier through China and into Southeast Asia. While it can grow as a tree, it is typically pruned into a low shrub for cultivation. The processing of its leaves results in different types of tea, including fermented (black), unfermented (green), and semifermented (oolong).132