Camellia petelotii explained

Camellia petelotii is a species of plant in the family Theaceae.^[1] It is found in China (endemic in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China) and Vietnam. It may be called the golden camellia and synonyms include C. chrysantha and Camellia nitidissima. The golden camellia originated 170 million years ago, it is a first-class nationally protected plant in China.^[2] The golden camellia is extremely demanding on the growth environment, and its genes are extremely difficult to replicate, once transplanted, it will die or genetically mutate.^[3] Therefore, in 1986, the Golden Camellia National Nature Reserve was built in Fangcheng, Guangxi, with a total area of 9195.1 hectares.^[4]

It is threatened by habitat loss. It originates from southern China and Vietnam where it has been used to make tea; it has also been propagated as a garden plant for its waxy yellow flowers, which are unusual in a camellia. It is endangered in the wild, but favored as a garden plant.

Description

Camellia petelotii is a shrub or small tree growing up to 5 meters in height.^[5]

Uses

With Golden Camellias, Chinese experts have been conducting experiments to create new varieties of the flower. Experts have found a few and named them, "Nayue Hongyan", "Liaoyan Beauty", "Xinhuang" and other names, which have contributed to the new tea market.^[6] According to the research and experiments of The Institute of Medicinal Plant Development (China)-Guangxi Branch and some other Chinese medicine research institutions in Guangxi, Golden camellia tea has the functions of preventing cancer, inhibiting tumor growth, lowering blood pressure, lowering blood lipids, lowering cholesterol, preventing atherosclerosis, delaying aging and other health effects as improve the body's immune.^[7]

References

^[8]

Further reading

• Sunyatsenia 7: 19 1948.
• The Plant List
• International Camellia Society
• Global Trees Campaign

Notes and References

1. Web site: POWO: Camellia petelotii (Merr.) Sealy (retrieved 24 March 2021) . 17 February 2023 . 3 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230203160759/https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:829954-1 . live .
2. Web site: 廣西特色食品—金花茶介紹 . 中華民國對外貿易發展協會 . zh . 16 November 2022 . 16 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221116081648/https://info.taiwantrade.com/biznews/%E5%BB%A3%E8%A5%BF%E7%89%B9%E8%89%B2%E9%A3%9F%E5%93%81-%E9%87%91%E8%8A%B1%E8%8C%B6%E4%BB%8B%E7%B4%B9-930835.html . live .
3. Web site: 廣西特色食品—金花茶介紹 . 中華民國對外貿易發展協會 . zh . 16 November 2022 . 16 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221116081648/https://info.taiwantrade.com/biznews/%E5%BB%A3%E8%A5%BF%E7%89%B9%E8%89%B2%E9%A3%9F%E5%93%81-%E9%87%91%E8%8A%B1%E8%8C%B6%E4%BB%8B%E7%B4%B9-930835.html . live .
4. Web site: 广西防城金花茶自然保护区简介 . 广西壮族自治区生态环境厅 . zh . 16 November 2022 . 16 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221116081628/http://sthjt.gxzf.gov.cn/zfxxgk/zfxxgkgl/fdzdgknr/sthj/t3630484.shtml . live .
5. Web site: Camellia petelotii (Merrill) Sealy, Kew Bull. . Flora of China . en . 17 November 2022 . 27 September 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220927141718/http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=242310160 . live .
6. Web site: Tang . J. . Zou . R. . Yang . Y. . Jiang . Y.. Wang . F. . Chai . S. . Wei . X. . Genotypic and Phenotypic Diversity of Endemic Golden Camellias Collected from China . Web of Science . 16 March 2024.
7. Web site: 廣西特色食品—金花茶介紹 . 中華民國對外貿易發展協會 . zh . 16 November 2022 . 16 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221116081648/https://info.taiwantrade.com/biznews/%E5%BB%A3%E8%A5%BF%E7%89%B9%E8%89%B2%E9%A3%9F%E5%93%81-%E9%87%91%E8%8A%B1%E8%8C%B6%E4%BB%8B%E7%B4%B9-930835.html . live .
8. Web site: Tang . J. . Zou . R. . Yang . Y. . Jiang . Y.. Wang . F. . Chai . S. . Wei . X. . Genotypic and Phenotypic Diversity of Endemic Golden Camellias Collected from China . Web of Science . 16 March 2024.