Camellia sinensis var. assamica seed
LATIN NAME: CAMELLIA SINENSIS ASSAMICA
COMMON NAME: Assam Tea
In the warm, humid lowlands of the north-east, the Assam tea grows as a small, evergreen tree with the large, glossy, leathery leaves and the small, white, fragrant flowers in the leaf axils, the round, three-lobed, woody capsules holding the large, oily seeds. The herb steadily grows into a rounded crown, with a mature height of 5-10 metres. Plant it in full sun with deep, fertile ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Assam tea occupies a central place in the studies of the tea plants of the world, its large leaves and its oily seeds keeping it in view in the work on the origin and the breeding of the tea crop and the plantations of the warm lowlands. The research looks at the way the glossy leaves carry the harvest, the woody capsules shed the oily seeds, and the seed biology of the short-lived, oil-rich seeds.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the warm garden and the plantation, the Assam tea carries the large, glossy leaves that have given the world the strong, malty teas of the breakfast cup. The small, white flowers scent the plantation in the cool season, and the tree makes the fine crop plant, the garden shrub and the tree of the warm, sheltered garden. It is a plant for the sheltered, shaded, deep and acid place.
To grow the Assam Tea from seed, sow the large oily seeds at once, fresh from the pods, on leafy soil.
Sow the large oily seeds at once, fresh from the pods, on leafy soil, and keep the young tea plants in the shaded, sheltered spot. The glossy leaves carry the harvest.
LATIN NAME: Camellia sinensis var. assamica
COMMON NAME: Assam Tea Plant, Tea Plant, Tea Shrub
The tea plant is one of the most important plants in the history of the world, and the assam variety is one of its greatest forms. Growth leads to a rosette of leaves, to fifty centimetres. In the wild it can grow into a small tree, but in cultivation it is kept as a low, bushy shrub for easy picking. From its young leaves comes tea, the most widely drunk beverage in the world after water, and this variety, native to the Assam region, has powered the great tea gardens of India and beyond.
The tea plant belongs to the camellia family, Theaceae, and it is native to the highlands between southwestern China, northern Myanmar and northeastern India. The assam variety, with its larger leaves, thrives in the warm, humid, lowland conditions of Assam, and it is grown across the tea regions of the world.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing a tea plant from seed is a fascinating and rewarding project. The seeds sit inside the round, green capsules that follow the flowers, and they are best sown fresh, since they lose vigour quickly. Soak them for a day, then sow them in pots of free-draining, acidic compost, about a centimetre deep, and keep them warm, bright and evenly moist. Germination can be slow and uneven, with seedlings appearing over several weeks, so be patient. Grow the young plants on in pots, giving them shelter from harsh sun, and plant them out in a warm, sheltered, moist, acidic spot once they are strong. In a few years, you may be picking your own leaves for tea.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The tea plant has one of the richest records of research of any crop. The leaves contain caffeine, polyphenols, catechins and other compounds that give tea its flavour, its aroma and its health-giving properties, and researchers have studied the chemistry of tea for more than a century, including the antioxidants in green and black tea and their potential benefits. The plant has also been studied extensively in agriculture, for its cultivation, its yields, its breeding and its pests, and in biotechnology, where tissue culture and marker-assisted breeding have been used to develop better varieties. The history of tea, from its origins in China to the great tea gardens of Assam, is itself a major subject of historical research. For a plant that changed the world, the tea plant has an exceptionally rich record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the tea plant is a generous shrub. Its fragrant white flowers feed bees and other pollinators in autumn, and in the wild it grows as part of the forest, giving shelter for wildlife.
Its economic value is enormous. Tea is the most widely drunk beverage in the world after water, and the leaves of the tea plant are harvested and processed into green, black, oolong and white teas, supporting vast industries and millions of farmers across Asia, Africa and beyond. For a grower, the tea plant is a crop of great value, and for a gardener it brings glossy evergreen foliage, fragrant autumn flowers and a direct connection to one of the worlds great drinks.
Camellia sinensis var. assamica seed(Pu-Erh tea–Puer tea)
Pu-erh tea can be purchased as either raw/green (sheng) or ripened/cooked (shu), depending on processing method or aging. Sheng pu-erh can be roughly classified on the tea oxidation scale as a green tea, and the shou or aged-green variants as post-fermented tea. Unlike other teas that should ideally be consumed shortly after production, pu-erh can be drunk immediately or aged for many years; pu-erh teas are often now classified by year and region of production much like wine vintages. Pu’Er tea has been celebrated since the T ang Dynasty ( 618AD-906AD ) for its health benefits and curative powers in certain diseases. Modern medical science has recently shown that the health benefits of Pu’er tea may be more than just Chinese folklore. Since 1970 France, Japan and China have been conducting many scientific studies on Pu’Er tea which suggest that : Keep drinking Puer Tea, a way to good health. Improving digestion, burning the body fat Enhance immune system Reduce cholesterol in the blood stream. Reduce high blood fat. Help prevent intestinal infection, digestive problems and constipation. Help to prevent the formation of cancer cells in the body due to its anti-oxidants.