Camellia assamica seed

Camelia Assamica is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea. It is of the genus Camelia of flowering plants in the family Theaceae.

Two major varieties are grown: Camelia sinensis var. sinensis for chinese teas, and Camellia sinensis var. assamica for Indian Assam teas.

White tea, yellow tea, green tea, oolong, pu-erh tea and black tea are all harvested from one or the other, but are processed differently to attain varying levels of oxidation.

The leaves have been used in traditional Chinese medicine and other medical systems to treat asthma (functioning as a bronchodilator), angina pectoris, peripheral vascular disease, and coronary artery disease.