Camellia caudata Wall.

Camellia species are evergreen trees or shrubs. Leaves simple, alternate or rarely subopposite, lanceolate-ovate to oblanceolate-oblong, base acute to obtuse, margins serrate, rarely entire, apex acute to acuminate, coriaceous, membranous to leathery, midrib impressed above and prominent beneath, petiolate, sessile or amplexicaul, exstipulate. Inflorescence axillary or subterminal, solitary or fascicled. Flowers bisexual, pedicel short or sessile, bracteoles persistent or caducous, sepals 5-6, imbricate, unequal, base connate, differentiated from the bracts towards petals, petals 5-8, imbricate, red, yellow, base shortly connate, stamens numerous, in 2-6 partially connate to form ring or tube, unequal, 5-12 towards the centre free, base adnate to petals, anthers dorsifixed, 2 loculed, dehiscing by longitudinally or laterally, ovary superior, globose, 3-5 locular, axile placentation, ovules 3-5 in each locule, style 3-5, base free or partially connate. Fruit capsule, globose, woody, usually 1 loculed because of abortion or sometimes more, with persistent central axis. Seeds subglobose-ovoid or angular, embryo thick, erect, exalbuminous and with high oil content.

Shrub/ Tree

Camellia species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: September—April.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Evergreen trees or shrubs, about 2-5 m tall, bark grayish brown, branchlets slender, pubescent. Leaves simple, alternate, narrow elliptic-oblong to linear lanceolate-oblong, about 4-12 x 1-2.5 cm across, base narrowed, acute to cuneate, margins serrate to serrulate, apex acuminate to caudate, coriaceous, membranous, shining, green glabrous above except the midrib and paler sparsely adpressed hairy beneath, midrib impressed above and prominent beneath, lateral veins 8-10, faint on either side of the midrib, petiole about 2-5 mm long, exstipulate. Inflorescence axillary or subterminal, solitary or 2-5 flowered in fascicles. Flowers bisexual, white, about 3 cm across, pedicel slender, about 3-4 mm long, bracteoles 3-5, ovate, deltoid, persistent, about 1-2 mm long, sepals 5, imbricate, unequal, ovate-orbicular, base connate, glabrous inside, densely pubescent outside, differentiated from the bracts towards petals, about 3-6 x 2-5 mm across, petals 5, imbricate, white, obovate, glabrous inside, densely pubescent towards the apex outside, base shortly connate, stamens numerous, in 2-6 partially connate to form ring or tube, unequal, 5-12 towards the centre free, outer ones connate till middle, villous, base adnate to petals, about 1-1.2 cm long, anthers dorsifixed, 2 loculed, yellow, dehiscing by longitudinally or laterally, ovary superior, globose, 1 locular, densely villous with white hairs, about 1-2 mm long, axile placentation, style 3fid, about 9-12 mm long. Fruit capsule, globose-ellipsoid, about 1.5-2.5 x 1-2 cm across, woody, usually 1 loculed because of abortion, apiculate, with persistent central axis. Seeds subglobose-ovoid, about 1-1.2 cm across, brown, glabrous, embryo thick, erect, exalbuminous and with high oil content.

Camellia species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus and fungi, affecting leaves, fruits and roots.

Subtropical forests, altitude 900-1600 m.

Evergreen broad-leaved forests, thickets

Not evaluated (IUCN).