84a. Camellia japonica var. japonica
山茶(原变种) shan cha (yuan bian zhong)
Camellia bonnardii Berlese; C. florida Salisbury; C. hozanensis (Hayata) Hayata; C. japonica var. hozanensis (Hayata) Yamamoto; C. japonica var. macrocarpa Masamune; C. kaempferia Reboul; C. mutabilis Paxton; C. nakaii (Hayata) Hayata; C. planipetala Lemaire; C. sylvestris Berlese; C. tsubakki Crantz; Kemelia japonica (Linnaeus) Rafinesque; Thea camellia Hoffmannsegg; T. hozanensis Hayata; T. japonica (Linnaeus) Baillon; T. japonica var. hortensis Makino; T. japonica var. spontanea Makino; T. nakaii Hayata.
Petiole ca. 1 cm, glabrous. Bracteoles and sepals grayish white velutinous. Fl. Jan-Mar, fr. Sep-Oct.
Forests; 300-1100 m. Shandong, Taiwan, E Zhejiang [S Japan, S Korea].
This taxon is grown as a garden plant throughout S China with many named cultivars. The early introduction of Camellia japonica cultivars into Europe in the 18th and early 19th century were mostly from China.
