View crop

Camellia sinensis var. sinensis

Authority	(L.) Kuntze
Family	Magnoliopsida:Dilleniidae:Theales:Theaceae
Synonyms
Common names
Editor
Ecocrop code	4090

Notes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION A slow-growing dwarf tree or woody shrub with small dark green leaves under natural conditions reaching a height of 5 m. Under cultivation it is usually pruned down to 0.5-1.5 m and trained as a low spreading bush. KILLING T Leaves may withstand -5°C. GROWING PERIOD Perennial. Harvest of leaves may begin after 2-5 years and reaches a maximum at 7-10 years. The growth cycle is 240-365 days, fruits takes 270-360 days to matureand seed are normally produced after 4-5 years. The economic life of the plant is about 40 years, but sometimes the shrub are kept in production 60-70, or even 100 years. COMMON NAMES China tea, Tea, The, Te, Tee, Tsa. FURTHER INF Scientific synonyms: C. thea, C. theifera, Thea sinensis, T. bohea, T. viridis. China tea can be grown in subtropical lowland up to about 1800 m and between 750-3000 m in the tropics. Tea origiginates in the mountains of Southeast Asia, it is now grown between 40°N and 33°S. Hail can cause great damage and windbreaks are beneficial. The tree is resistant to cold and adverse conditions. To low and to high humidity can reduce yields and encourage disease. One ton of tea removes 45-60 kg N, 4-7 kg P and 20-30 kg K from the field. Yields in Africa average between 0.5-2.0 t/ha.
Sources
SOURCES (C. sinensis var. sinensis) Rehm S 1991 pp 253-258 [TEMP, RAIN, KTMP, DEP, DRA, PH, FER] Roecklein J 1987 pp 24 [USE] Williams C 1979a pp 68-75 [TEMP, PHO, RAIN, DEP, PH] Purseglove J 1974 pp 599-612 [TEMP, RAIN, DEP, DRA, PH, LIMIT] Onwueme I 1991 pp 430-437 [RAIN, TEMP, LIMIT, DEP, DRA, PH] Zabala N 1990 pp 151-160 [TEMP, RAIN, TEXT, PH, FER, DRA, LIG, USE]