Oil tea of Guangning
Camellia semiserrata
Family: Theaceae
What it is like
A tree. It grows 12 m high. The leaves are leathery and narrowly oblong. They are 9-15 cm long by 3-6 cm wide. They taper to the tip and have teeth towards the end. The flowers occur singly and are white. They are 6.5 cm across. They are near the ends of branches. The fruit is an oval capsule 4.5 cm across. They split open with 3-5 valves. The seeds are 2.5 cm long. They are brown.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in forests along river valleys between 200-800 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China
How it is used for food
An edible oil is extracted from the seeds.
Edible parts
Seeds - oil
How it is grown
In China plants flower January to March and fruit September to October.