This species is closely related to Camellia sasanqua, and has often been included in it in the past[, ].

Common Name: Tea-Oil Plant

General Information

Camellia oleifera is an evergreen shrub or a tree with a dense crown that becomes rounded or vase-shaped in the tree form; it usually grows from 1 - 5 metres tall, occasionally reaching 8 metres[, ].
The plant has been cultivated as an oil crop for more than 1,000 years and is grown extensively in southern China and Viet Nam, the oil being used for food, toiletries etc[]. The plant is also often grown as an ornamental, where it can be used as a hedge.
Camellia oleifera is widespread throughout southern China and into northern Viet Nam, Lao PDR and Myanmar. The population size and extent of occurrence are too large to assess this species as threatened. However there are reports that the population is rapidly decreasing due to deforestation in at least parts of the species range and more research is needed to determine the scope and severity of these threats. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - southern and eastern China, northern Myanmar, northern Laos, northern Vietnam

Habitat

Forests, thickets, banks of streams and foothills; at elevations from 500 - 1,800 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	4.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Bees
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[]. It succeeds on a wall at Kew and outdoors in milder areas[]. Camellia oleifera is said to be the hardiest Chinese species in the genus and has the farthest northerly distribution[].
Prefers a woodland soil but thrives in a warm open well-drained loam if leafmould is added and is tolerant of clay soils[, , , ]. A calcifuge plant, preferring a pH between 5 and 7[, ]. Prefers the partial shade of a light woodland, but becomes more tolerant of full sun as it grows[]. The species prefers warm conditions and requires sunlight[]. It grows on gentle slopes of mountains and hills[]. Established plants can tolerate some drought[].
Prefers a wet summer and a cool but not very frosty dry winter[].
Plants are not very self-compatible, self-fertilized flowers produce few seeds and these are of low viability[].
This species has been cultivated for many centuries in China for the oil in its seed[, ].
This species is extensively cultivated as an oil seed. Because of its long cultivation in China, it is often difficult to know if particular collections are wild, cultivated, or escaped. For this reason the original wild distribution is uncertain although it is possibly in the region of S Qin Ling to the Huai He valley[].
A very ornamental plant, some named forms have been developed for their ornamental value.
A slow-growing plant[].

Edible Uses

An oil obtained from the seed is used in cooking[, , ]. A high quality cooking oil which stores well at room temperature and is of comparative quality to olive oil[]. The seed contains 40 - 50% oil, of which up to 88% is oleic acid[].
The globose to ellipsoid capsule is 20 - 40mm in diameter, 1 - 3-loculed with 1 or 2 brown to reddish brown, globose to semiglobose seeds 15 - 20mm in diameter per locule[].

The flowers are used to flavour tea[].

Medicinal

The seed oil is used in the treatment of ringworm[]. It is emollient and can be applied to the skin to treat conditions such as eczema.

A triterpenoid saponin obtained from camellia seedcake has been shown to improve immune function, enhance antibacterial and antiviral activities, and to have antimutation and antioxidation properties in humans and other animals[].

The root, bark, flowers and seeds can be used in traditional medicines[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Plants respond well to trimming and can be grown as a hedge[].

Other Uses

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 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 as 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[, ].

A grey dye is obtained from the pink or red petals[].

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.