Camellia connata (Craib) Craib, Fl. Siam. 1(1): 131. 1925.

Zhao, Dongwei, 2024, Taxonomic revision of Camellia (Theaceae) in Thailand, PhytoKeys 239, pp. 29-57 : 29

2. Camellia connata (Craib) Craib, Fl. Siam. 1(1): 131. 1925.

Thea connata ≡ Thea connata Craib, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew (1): 6. 1914. Lectotype (first-step designated by Sealy [1958: 146]; second-step designated by Zhao et al. [2017a: 174]): Thailand. Chiang Mai: Doi Suthep, 1520 m, 25 June 1911, A.F.G. Kerr 1878 (K 000704325!).

Description.

Shrubs or trees up to 8 m tall. New branchlets puberulous; terminal buds pubescent. Petioles 2.5-7 mm long, sparsely puberulous; leaf blades elliptic to oblong, 5.5-12 × 3-5 cm, thinly coriaceous, abaxially yellowish green and brown punctate, glabrous or sparsely puberulous along midrib, adaxially yellowish or dark green, shiny, hirsute along midrib, midrib abaxially elevated and adaxially slightly raised, secondary veins 9-12 on each side of midrib, slightly raised on both surfaces, base attenuate to rounded, margin serrulate, apex acute to attenuate. Flowers solitary or paired, ca. 2 cm in diam., subsessile. Bracteoles 3-6, alternate, persistent, gradually transitioning to sepals, deltate to semi-orbicular, 1.5-3 × 1-2.5 mm, abaxially glabrous or sparsely puberulous, adaxially glabrous. Sepals 4-5, persistent, sub-orbicular or ovate, 3.5-5 × 4-6 mm, abaxially glabrous or sparsely puberulous, adaxially glabrous, margin ciliolate and usually lacerate. Petals 6-7 in 2 whorls, elliptic or ovate, glabrous, outer 2 petals 5-7 × 7-9 mm, greenish white, inner 4-5 petals basally adnate to filament whorl for ca. 3 mm. Stamens 14-20; filaments yellowish orange, glabrous, outer 9-14 filaments completely united into a 7-12 mm long tube, ca. 5 mm in diam., apex irregularly dentate, each tooth bearing an anther, remaining filaments 6-9 mm long, borne on the inside of filament tube. Ovary globose to ovoid, pubescent. Styles 3, distinct, ca. 1.5 mm long, glabrous or sparsely puberulous at base. Capsule ovoid or globose, 10-25 mm in diam., 1-3-loculed with 1-3 seeds; pericarp 0.5-1 mm thick. Seeds black to brown, globose or hemispherical, 1-1.5 cm in diam., glabrous Fig. 3 .

Phenology.

Flowering April-August, fruiting July-November.

Distribution and habitat.

Camellia connata is endemic to northern Thailand (Fig. 2 ), in the evergreen, mixed evergreen and deciduous forests at the elevations of 550-2000 m.

Additional specimens examined.

Chiang Mai: 610 m, 16 July 1923, Winit 1134 (BKF SN060818, K); Chiang Dao, Doi Chiang Dao, east side of Sop Huay Pah Dahng-Huay Nah Lao Station , 575 m, 18 August 1995, Bella & Nanny 5 (CMUB 06549); Chom Thong, Doi Inthanon , Mae Uam Station, ca . 1700 m, 2 April 2008, Watthana 2735 (QBG 37391); Fang , Doi Ang Khang, ca . 1500 m, 14 July 1922, Kerr 6294 (BK 203711, BM, K), 1400-1800 m, 8 June 1976, Charoensorn s.n. (BK 203714); Mae Chaem , ca . 800 m, 22 October 1922, Kerr 6428 (BK 203710, K), Doi Inthanon, between 34 km and 35 km, on the road to Mae Aum Watershed Management Station , 1590-1640 m, 12 November 2015, Zhao et al. 84 (BKF, TCD), 85-88 (TCD), 89 (BKF, TCD), 90 (BKF, KUN, TCD), 91 (KUN, TCD), 92 (BKF, KUN, TCD), 93 (1), (2) (TCD) & 94 (BKF, KUN, TCD); Mueang Chiang Mai , Doi Suthep-Pui, 18°49'42"N, 98°53'26"E , 1636 m, 13 November 2015, Zhao et al. 97 (1) & (2) (TCD). Mae Hong Son : Pai, Doi Chang , 2000 m, 31 May 1977, Santisuk 1131 (BKF SN178498).

Notes.

Cohen-Stuart (1916, 1919) established Camellia sect. Calpandria (Blume) Cohen-Stuart based on C. lanceolata (Blume) Seem. and thought that T. connata might be a heterotypic synonym of C. lanceolata . Sealy (1958) suggested that the two species were distinct from each other and placed C. connata in sect. Camellia Calpandria because both plants bore a filament tube. Subsequent monographers of Camellia , including Chang (1981), Chang and Bartholomew (1984) and Ming (2000), agreed with the treatment of Sealy (1958). However, phylogenetic analysis ( Zhao et al. 2023) suggested that C. connata was nested in the clade of Heterogenea and did not have a close relationship with C. lanceolata , which implies that the filament tube is not a synapomorphy in Camellia . The descriptions of C. connata provided in Sealy (1958) and Ming (2000) were based on several specimens collected by Kerr and Winit about a century ago. A detailed account of C. connata is supplied here with recent collections and photos of living plants (Fig. 3 ).

Figures

Figure 2. Distribution of Camellia taxa in Thailand: C. caudata (Pink square), C. connata (Purple star), C. furfuracea (Pink plus), C. kissi (Blue dot), C. kissi var. confusa (Brown diamond), C. laotica (Red star), C. sinensis var. assamica (Green triangle), C. suddeeana (Red dot) and C. taliensis (Blue plus).

Figure 3. Camellia connata A habit B branchlets C a branch with an immature fruit D, E flowers F a dissected flower without corolla G a fruit and seeds. Scale bars: 5 cm (B); 2 cm (C); 5 mm (D, F); 1 cm (E). The minimum graduation of the ruler in G indicates 1 mm.