Common Name:

General Information

Camellia luteoflora is an evergreen shrub or a small tree; it can grow from 1.5 - 5.5 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for the oil obtained from its seed. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Camellia luteoflora has a very restricted range, being known from only one location. There are only about 2,000 living plants of this species, and it has a low natural regeneration (2.5 - 5%). The habitat available for wildlife in the Chishui River Basin is shrinking as more and more land is converted for agriculture and fragmented by industrial, urban and infrastructure development. About 30% of land in this area is prone to soil erosion, among which 10% is heavily eroded due to farming on sloping lands. The plant is classified as 'Critically Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - southern China (Guizhou)

Habitat

Thickets, woody ravines, rock slopes; at elevations from 900 - 1,100 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Critically Endangered
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Camellia species are found mainly in the warm temperate to subtropical regions of southern China, and most species experience mild winters with few frosts plus wet summers[].
Species in this genus generally prefer a peaty, more or less lime-free soil with a pH in the range 5 - 7, but most will grow well in an open loam to which ample leaf-mould has been added, so long as it is well-drained and lime-free. Most species are understorey plants in forests (preferably oak or pine) and prefer a warm, sheltered position with moderate shade; at least at the hottest time of day[, ]. Requires a position sheltered from strong winds[].
It is an ornamental plant because of its yellow flowers[].

Edible Uses

An oil obtained from the seed can be used in cooking[].
The ovoid capsule is around 18mm x 15mm, 1(or 2)-loculed with 1 brown, ovoid seed around 13mm in diameter per locule[].

Medicinal

The oil from the seed is used medicinally[]. This is most likely as an emollient for the skin[].

Other Uses

An oil obtained from the seed can be used in cooking, medicine and in industry[].

The oil obtained from the seed of this species is likely to be very similar in quality to that obtained from Camellia oleifera. The uses of that oil are as follows:-
The seed contains 40 - 50% of a non-drying oil. The oil consists mainly of oleic acid. It is not subject to polymerize nor to oxidize, nor does it form solids at low temperatures[]. The oil has a wide range of applications. It is a good raw material for industrial uses, it is used as an illuminant, in making textiles and in the manufacture of items such as soap, margarine, hair oil, lubricants, inks and paint. It is also used in the synthesis of other high-molecular weight compounds, and to make a rustproof coating for metals. It is often used medicinally and in cosmetics in items such as skin creams and anti-wrinkle compounds[, , , , , ].
Various compounds are extracted from the seeds once the oil has been removed. These include saponins (used an emulsifying agent in pesticides, for foam-forming fire extinguishers and in detergents), tannins and pentosan[].
The seed cake has insecticidal activity, and has been proven to give effective control over a range of pests[, ].

Propagation

Seed - can be sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse[]. Stored seed should be pre-soaked for 24 hours in warm water and the hard covering around the micropyle should be filed down to leave a thin covering[, , ]. It usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 23°c[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions when they are more than 15cm tall and give them some protection from winter cold for their first year or three outdoors[].
Cuttings of almost ripe wood, 10 - 15cm with a heel, mid summer to early autumn in a shaded frame. High percentage but slow[].
Cuttings of firm wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, end of early summer in a frame[, ]. Keep in a cool greenhouse for the first year[].
Leaf-bud cuttings, mid summer in a frame.