Theaceae

Theaceae is a family of flowering plants that includes tea plants (Camellia sinensis), camellias, and Stewartia. Its members are mostly woody shrubs and trees.

Camellia: A genus of evergreen shrubs and trees in Theaceae, including the tea plant and many ornamental species. This large genus contains both the economically important tea plant and familiar ornamental camellias.
Tea plant: Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub whose leaves are harvested to produce tea. This species makes Theaceae the source of one of the world’s most widely consumed beverages.
Carl Linnaeus: A Swedish botanist who established the binomial system of naming species and a hierarchical system of classification. Linnaeus named Camellia japonica, an early botanical landmark for a major Theaceae genus.
Ternstroemiaceae: A historically recognized family of flowering plants whose genera are now largely included in Theaceae. Older classifications separated groups that many modern systems place within Theaceae.
Stewartia: A genus of deciduous trees and shrubs in Theaceae, native to eastern Asia and eastern North America. Stewartia is a distinct member of the family, unlike its mostly evergreen camellia relatives.
Tea: An infusion made chiefly from processed leaves of Camellia sinensis. Tea’s cultivation and processing depend on a single cultivated member of Theaceae.
Carl Peter Thunberg: A Swedish naturalist and botanist who collected plants in southern Africa and Japan in the eighteenth century. His Japanese botanical work contributed to early European knowledge of camellias.
Pentaphylacaceae: A family of flowering plants in Ericales, closely related to Theaceae and containing several woody genera. Its close relationship and changing circumscription distinguish it from Theaceae in classification.
Franklinia: A monotypic genus in Theaceae represented by Franklinia alatamaha, a tree extinct in the wild. Its sole species is an unusual and historically significant member of the family.
Camellia japonica: An evergreen East Asian shrub or small tree cultivated for its large ornamental flowers. Its cultivars are among the best-known ornamental plants in the family.

Linked from 3 pages

PrimulaceaeRelated: Theaceae is another major family in the order Ericales.