Taxonomic revision of Camellia (Theaceae) in Thailand

Dongwei Zhao

doi:10.3897/phytokeys.239.113878

Taxonomic revision of Camellia (Theaceae) in Thailand

PhytoKeys. 2024 Mar 5:239:29-57. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.239.113878. eCollection 2024.

Author

Dongwei Zhao¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Forestry, College of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410004, China Central South University of Forestry and Technology Changsha China.

Abstract

Natural plants of Camellia (Theaceae) in Thailand are taxonomically revised with a key, a distribution map, descriptions, specimens examined, and figures of living plants and/or dry specimens. Nine taxa comprising seven species and two varieties are recognized, including C.caudata, C.connata, C.furfuracea, C.kissi, C.kissivar.confusa, C.laotica, C.sinensisvar.assamica, C.suddeeana, and C.taliensis. Camelliacaudata and C.laotica are new records to Thailand, and C.connata and C.suddeeana are endemic to the country. Formerly recorded C.pleurocarpa and C.tenii are excluded from Thai flora because of misidentification, and C.oleifera and C.sinensis are merely cultivated in the country. Morphological descriptions of C.connata and C.laotica are improved based on additional collections examined.

Keywords: Assam tea; Indochina; new records; oil camellias.

Dongwei Zhao.

Grants and funding

Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (2022JJ40870), the Guangxi Key Laboratory of Special Non-wood Forest Cultivation & Utilization (JB-23-01-01), and the Scientific Research Foundation of the Central South University of Forestry and Technology (2019YJ023).