Scientific Name : Camellia crapnelliana Tutcher
Common Name : Crapnell's Camellia
Chinese Name : 紅皮糙果茶、克氏茶、多苞糙果茶
Family : THEACEAE
Local distribution status : Native species
| Origins | Native to Hong Kong, it is also distributed in some provinces of China, including Guangdong, southern Guangxi, Fujian, Jiangxi and south Zhejiang. |
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| Meanings of name | The genus name Camellia commemorates 17th century Moravian Jesuit missionary and naturalist Georg Josef Kamel (1661-1706). The authority ‘Tutcher’ refers to the author who published the scientific nameThis species was first discovered and a type specimen of Camellia crapnelliana was collected by W. J. Tutcher from Mount Parker, Hong Kong in 1903. This species is listed in Rare and Precious Plants of Hong Kong and rated as Vulnerable (VU). Crapnell's Camellia is scheduled under Cap. 96 of the Forests and Countryside Ordinance. Additionally, this species has been recorded in the China Plant Red Data Book: Rare and Endangered Plants. |
| Vitality | Crapnell's Camellia prefers semi-shade environments and well-drained soils. |
| Ecology | Usually grows in low-hill forests or in forests with 100-500 m in altitude, and is widely cultivated in parks. |
| Application | The seeds of Camellia crapnelliana can be used to extract oil. It is said that Camellia crapnelliana produces oil of better quality than that of Camellia oleifera; 50 kg of seeds can yield 10kg of oil. |
| Theaceae |
Crapnell's Camellia (Camellia crapnelliana) and Chaff Camellia (Camellia furfuracea): Both trees are members of the genus Camellia. They can be distinguished by observing their bark color, leaf texture, and the size of their flowers and fruits. The bark of Crapnell's Camellia is reddish brown while the bark of Chaff Camellia is greyish brown. The leaves of Crapnell's Camellia are leathery, whereas Chaff Camellia are leathery. The flower size of Crapnell's Camellia typically ranges from 6-10 cm in diameter, while that of Chaff Camellia ranges from 2-3.5 cm. The fruit size of Crapnell's Camellia usually measures 5-10 cm in diameter, while that of Chaff Camellia typically measures 2.5-4 cm. |
| Growing habit | Shrub or small tree. |
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| Height | To 10 m tall. |
| Stem | Branchlet reddish brown, glabrous. |
| Leaves | Leaves leathery; petiole glabrous; leaf blade elliptic to oblong-elliptic; midvein elevated abaxially; base cuneate to broadly cuneate, margin denticulate, apex cuspidate with bluntly pointed. |
| Flower | Flowers axillary or subterminal, solitary or paired, subsessile; bracteoles and sepals persistent, suborbicular, tawny tomentellous abaxially, petals white, obovate to obovate-oblong, apex rounded to emarginate; stamens many, filaments glabrous connated; densely tomentose. |
| Fruit | Capsule greyish brown, subglobose, 3-5 locular with 3-5 seeds per locule, furfuraceous, dehiscing into 3-5 valves; pericarp woody. |
| Seed | Seeds brown, semiglobose, glabrous. |
| Flowering period | December to January in Hong Kong. |
| Fruiting period | September to October in Hong Kong. |
Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website:
https://herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=7146
https://www.herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=7152
Scientific Names from Other Databases
―Flora of China: Camellia crapnelliana Tutcher
―GBIF: Camellia crapnelliana Tutcher