Thea taliensis Thea taliensis Polyspora yunnanensis Polyspora yunnanensis Camellia irrawadiensis Camellia irrawadiensis Camellia pentastyla Camellia pentastyla Camellia quinquebracteata Camellia quinquebracteata Taxonomic revision of Camellia (Theaceae) in Thailand Zhao, Dongwei PhytoKeys 2024 2024-03-05 239 29 57 Q9SR F8A1945F-E87F-5814-88CB-80A0DB23E140 (W. W. Sm.) Melch. in Engler, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 2 (21): 131. 1925. (W. W. Sm.) Melch. in Engler, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 2 (21): 131. 1925. Magnoliopsida Theaceae Camellia CoL Plantae Camellia taliensis Ericales 0 29 Tracheophyta species taliensis   Thea taliensis≡ Thea taliensisW.W. Sm., Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 10: 73. 1917. Lectotype (first-step designated by Ming [2000: 119]; second-step designated by Zhao et al. [2017a: 177]): China. Yunnan: Ghi Shan east of Tali Lake, 25°48'N, 2740 m, August 1914, G. Forrest 13477(E 00284542! Image: https://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00284542).  Polyspora yunnanensis= Polyspora yunnanensisHu, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. Bot. 8: 135. 1938. Lectotype (designated by Zhao et al. [2019: 299]): China. Yunnan: Lu-hsi Hsien, 1750 m, 6 February 1934, H.T. Tsai 56805(PE 00024542! Image: https://www.cvh.ac.cn/spms/detail.php?id=0756fff6).  Camellia irrawadiensis= Camellia irrawadiensisBarua, Camellian 7(4): 18. 1956. Holotype: Myanmar. Raised from seed collected by L.O. Wilson, 1917, presumably in the region 26°-27°N, 98°-99°E (valley of Irrawadi in North Burma), January 1956, Ex. Herb. I.T.A. 3253(consisting of 2 sheets: K 000704313! & K 000704314!).  Camellia pentastyla= Camellia pentastylaHung T. Chang, Acta Sci. Nat. Univ. Sunyatseni 20(1): 92. 1981. Lectotype (designated by Zhao et al. [2018: 93]): China. Yunnan: Fengqing, cultivated, 2050 m, 12 February 1963, L.F. Xia & Z.H. Yang 28(KUN 1206061!).  Camellia quinquebracteata= Camellia quinquebracteataHung T. Chang & C.X. Ye, Acta Sci. Nat. Univ. Sunyatseni 26(1): 20. 1987. Holotype: China. Yunnan: Lianghe, Dachang, 4 January 1983, P. Zeng & Q.J. Xie 17055(SYS, isotype: KUN 1206063!).  Description. Trees or shrubs up to 15 m tall. New branchletsglabrous, terminal budsglabrous or sparsely puberulous. Petioles4-8 mm long, glabrous; leaf bladeselliptic to oblong, 7.5-15.5 x3-6.5 cm, coriaceous, abaxially yellowish green and adaxially dark or yellowish green, shiny and glabrous on both surfaces, midrib abaxially elevated and adaxially slightly raised, secondary veins 8-14 on each side of midrib, slightly elevated on both surfaces, base attenuate to obtuse, margin sparsely serrulate to nearly entire, apex attenuate or acute. Flowerssolitary or up to 3 in a cluster, 3-5 cm in diam. Pedicels8-15 mm long. Bracteoles2-4, alternate, 2-ranked, caducous. Sepals5, persistent, sub-orbicular or broadly ovate, 4-6.5 x5.5-9 mm, abaxially glabrous, adaxially sericeous, margin ciliolate. Petals7-11 in 2-3 whorls, white, elliptic to obovate, 16-30 x10-21 mm, glabrous on both surfaces or inside sericeous at apex, inner petals basally adnate to filaments for 2-4 mm. Stamensnumerous, 1-2.5 cm long; filaments pale yellow, glabrous. Ovaryoblate, pubescent. Style 1, 11-20 mm long, basally sparsely pubescent and gradually becoming glabrous apically, apically (3-)5-lobed for 2-5 mm. Capsuleoblate, 2.5-5 cm in diam., 2-3 cm in height,1-5-loculed with 1-5 seeds; pericarp 1.5-4 mm thick. Seedsbrown, hemispherical or polyhedral, 1.5-2 cm in diam., glabrous Fig. 10.   Figure 10.  Camellia taliensis A, Bdry specimens of Smitinand 4331Aat BKF Cbranchlet with flower Da dissected flower Ebranchlet with immature fruit. Scale bars: 3 cm ( C); 2 cm ( D, E). The minimum graduation of the rulers in A, Brepresents 1 mm.  Phenology. Flowering October-February, fruiting April-November.  Distribution and habitat.   Camellia taliensisoccurs in the montane evergreen forest at the elevations of 1100-2750 m in China, Myanmar and Thailand (Fig. 2).  Additional specimens examined.  Chiang Mai:  Chiang Dao, Doi Chiang Dao, Den Ya Khat,  1500 m, 4 August 2007, Watthana 2420(QBG 30728); Chom Thong, Doi Inthanon,  1900 m, 1 May 1921, Kerr 5298(BK 203709, BM, K), 18°40'N, 98°25'E,  1700 m, 11 December 1969,  Beusekom& Phengklai2462(BKF SN061415, P 06838120),  1900-2025 m, 14 January 1994,  FukuokaT-62168(BKF SN102755); Fang,  1250 m, 24 February 1958,  Smitinand4331(BKF SN060803) & 4331A((BKF SN060831; Fig. 10A, B); Doi Ang Khang,  1700 m, 27 May 1998,  Wongpraserts.n.(BKF SN121562); Doi Pha Hom Pok,  1400 m, 12 February 1958,   Sorensen1607(BKF SN060805, C, K),  1920 m, 1 February 2007,  Srisangaet al. 2919(CMUB 29155, HITBC 143571, QBG 31244); Mae Ai, Bumuhn (Lahu) Village area,  1150 m, 21 October 1994,  Maxwell94-1102(BKF SN060837, CMUB 05366); Maeon, Ban Mae Kam Pong,  1300 m, 26 October 2007,  Pongamornkul2121(QBG 34196); Mae Taeng,  1600-1950 m, 5 December 1977,  Santisuk1480(C, K); Doi Chang,  1700-1900 m, 23 October 1979,  Shimizuet al. T-20524(BKF SN060811, QBG 50044); Doi Kiew Lom, Huai Nam Dang,  1700 m, 18 January 2002,  Chayamaritet al. 3107(BKF SN162068); Nanthaburi, Mae Tuen, 12 March 1991,  Smitinands.n.(BKF SN119850).  Kampaeng Phet: Klong Lam, Mae Wong, 1320 m, 30 October 2002, Bult 609(CMUB 20961).  Mae Hong Son:  Khun Yuam, 20 November 1998,  Chusie KY308(QBG 47303); Mae La Noi, Ban Dong,  1300 m, 15 December 2002,  Pongamornkul1871(QBG 35067), 2 May 2011,  Pongamornkul2899(QBG 64350); Mueang Mae Hong Son, along the trail to the peak of Doi Pui,  1100-1750 m, 16 December 2007,  Tanakaet al. HN8479(QBG 35641); Doi Khun Huai Pong, 18°58'N, 98°10'E,  1850 m, 3 March 1968,  Hansen& Smitinand12770(BKF SN060846, C, E 00681068, K, P 04511721); Pai, en route to Doi Chang,  1800 m, 31 May 1972,  Santisuk149(BKF SN060809); Doi Mae Ya,  1800 m, 3 November 1999, Suksathan 2030(QBG 16229).  Nan: Pua, Doi Phu Kha, 19°17'N, 101°7'E, 1680 m, 10 April 1999, Srisanga & Watthana 685(QBG 14019), 19°10'N, 101°7'E, 1700 m, 26 May 2000, Srisanga 1429(QBG 17650), 1600 m, 22 August 2001, Srisanga & Maknoi 2027(QBG 21153).  Phayao: Muang, Doi Luang, 19°5'N, 99°27'E, 1500 m, 22 April 1998, Sidisunthorn & Gardner 2568.0(CMUB 13844); Phu Sang, Doi Pha Mon Noi, 19°44'8"N, 100°24'21"E, 1482 m, 30 April 2013, Laongsri et al. 2849(QBG 66589); Pong, Phu Lanka, 1500 m, 4 September 2006, Watthana & Pumicong 2141(QBG 28151).  Tak: Umpang, Umpang, near top of Khao Kheeo, 2150 m, 25 April 2001, Bult 419(CMUB 18159).  Notes. Besides Assam tea,  C. taliensisis another tea source plant that occurs in Thailand. Ming (1992)recognized  C. irrawadiensisas a heterotypic synonym of  C. taliensis. Chang et al. (1996)disagreed with Ming (1992)and suggested that  C. irrawadiensiscould be distinguished from  C. taliensisby its abaxially punctate (vs. glabrous) and caffeine-free (vs. present) leaves, shorter pedicel (7-8 mm vs. 12-14 mm), larger sepals (5-7 mm vs. 2-4 mm) and smaller flowers (4 cm vs. 5-6 cm in diam.). Ming (2000)trivialized the differences and retained  C. irrawadiensisin the synonymy of  C. taliensis. The morphological differences between them listed in Chang et al. (1996)are, however, either inaccurate (e.g., the leaves of  C. irrawadiensisare not abaxially punctate) or so trivial and overlapped (e.g., the size of pedicel, sepals and flowers) so that should be treated as an infraspecific variation. The claim of caffeine-free for  C. irrawadiensisin Chang et al. (1996)was referred to  Sealy's(1958: 127) report. Sealy (1958)wrote that "...Dr. E.A.H. Roberts and Dr. D.J. Wood (both of the Indian Tea Association) tell me that chemically it [  C. irrawadiensis] is clearly distinct from both, notably in that it does not contain caffeine." Nevertheless, Nagata and Sakai (1985)analysed two samples of  C. irrawadiensisand found that they contained 0.02% and less than 0.01% caffeine, whereas the content of caffeine in  C. taliensiswas 2.28%. However, the variation of chemical contents may be common in the plants of C. sect. Thea(L.) Griff. For instance, Ye et al. (1997)investigated 22 samples of  C. ptilophyllaHung T. Chang and suggested that all individuals contained 0.57%-6.84% theobromine; and 18 of the samples were caffeine-free, while the remaining contained 3.02%-4.94% caffeine. Therefore, the single difference of the content of caffeine may be insufficient to warrant separation of  C. irrawadiensisfrom  C. taliensisat specific rank, and  Ming's(2000)treatment of them is followed here.  Keng (1972: 146) listed a single collection, Smitinand 4331Aat BKF (Fig. 10A, B), under  C. pleurocarpain "Flora of Thailand". However, the collection actually represents  C. taliensis.  Camellia pleurocarpais native to Vietnam and bears an abaxially punctate leaf, 5-8 persistent bracteoles, abaxially sericeous perianth and glabrous ovary, whereas  C. taliensishas a glabrous leaf, 2-4 caducous bracteoles, abaxially glabrous perianth and pubescent ovary. 1921-05-01 2007-10-26 1921-05-01 Chiang Dao, Doi Chiang Dao, Den Ya Khat, Beusekom, Phengklai Smitinand 1500 18.666666 Fukuoka 1274 98.416664 Mae Tuen 1 1968-03-03 2011-05-02 1968-03-03 Chusie KY, Hansen, Smitinand, Pai, Doi Chang, Santisuk, Doi Mae Ya Doi Khun Huai Pong 1300 18.966667 Khun Yuam 1273 98.166664 Tanaka 1