Tea plant

The tea plant , or tree with the , or quite simply the , is a Arbuste originating in the Far East, of the family of the Théacées. It largely is cultivated for its Feuille S dried and possibly fermented, which is used for the preparation by Infusion of the the. It is a species close to the horticultural camellia, the CAMELIA japonica . the CAMELIA sinensis means word for word “the Chinese CAMELIA”.

One distinguishes three forms from this species:

the CAMELIA sinensis VAr. sinensis , the of China, originating in the Yunnan.
the CAMELIA sinensis VAr. assamica or the CAMELIA assamica , originating in China and the Indian sub-continent.
the CAMELIA sinensis formed parvifolia .

Description

The tea plant is a tree with persistent sheets, being able to reach of 10 cm to 15 cm, up to 20 cm for certain varieties. Its height is limited by the size in culture. There exist wild tea plants several times centenaries making more than 30 Mr.

The Sheet S alternate, persistent, have a form lengthened, elliptic long from 4 to 15 cm, out of 2 to 5 cm broad. They are brilliant, clear and flexible, with a rather thick texture. The petiole is short, approximately 10 mm, the limb, dark green, relatively coriace, has the finely toothed edges.

The flowers of the tea plant are yellow clear, and measure between 2,5 and 4 cm diameter. Recluses or in small groups from 3 to 4, they count five sepals, five petals, sometimes more up to 7 or 8, of yellow color clearly or white-cream, and of very many yellow cheesecloths often welded between them. The ovary is triloculaire.

The fruits are capsule S with loculicidal déhiscence 3 cm in diameter approximately. The seeds can be in a hurry to give an oil.

The various kinds of The are obtained starting from this species. Simply, the sheets of the are treated differently (see the article The (drink) for more precise details on manufacture of the).

Varieties

There exists a large variety of tea plants obtained by Clonage, multiplication starting from a seed, etc the three principal types of tea plant are:

; the CAMELIA sinensis assamica : it can reach more than 15 m in a wild state. Sheets brilliant, clear, flexible and large (up to 20 cm) with rather thick texture. The standard tea plant assamica and its hybrids is present in areas knowing of strong rains (monsoon) the such plantations of plain. He “was discovered” in 1823 in by Major Robert Bruce in Assam and then cultivated in all the India and with the Sri Lanka by the British companies. The majority of the produces in the world comes from this variety.

; the CAMELIA sinensis sinensis : in a wild state its size borders less than 5 Mr. the sheets are small (from 3 to 10 cm), rigid and matt. The Chinese standard tea plant and its hybrids are cultivated in areas being able to undergo low temperatures (Japan, China, Georgia, Iran, Turkey) like in the plantations of high-altitude. It is robust and has relative a good resistance to the dryness. It is the oldest known and cultivated species of tea plant. It gives teas among most required. Certain always cultivated seedlings would have more than thousand years.

; the CAMELIA sinensis cambodiensis : from 6 to 10 m, with brilliant sheets, and yellow green when they are young. Cut intermediate between the sinensis and the assamica .

Distribution and habitat

This species is originating in tropical Asia: China, Indian Sub-continent, Indo-China, Burma, Thailand.

It is largely cultivated in hot or tropical moderate zones, mainly in China, India, with the Sri-Lanka (Ceylon), with the Japan, but also with the Kenya, in Turkey, Indonesia, etc

Use

Pharmacopeia

The sheets of tea plant, when they are not fermented, are used in phytotherapy to look after the plumpness, tiredness, or the retention of water. The components of the stimulate the Sécrétion Adrénaline and increase its duration of action by it, which will thus support the lipolysis (release and the elimination of greases of fat fabrics). Like this action of a limitation of the absorption of the calories at the intestinal level, by tannins, the regulation is supplemented is justified for the ponderal overload.

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