Tea (Camellia sinensis) is an agricultural plant belonging to the Theaceae family, grown in humid climates, whose leaves and buds are used to produce a beverage.
Although there are many legends about the discovery of tea, according to Chinese archives, in 2737 BC, Emperor Shen Nong, also known as the father of agriculture, explorer, and discoverer of herbal medicine, placed great importance on public health and hygiene, recommending that water be boiled before drinking. During a journey, while resting in a forested area, he observed that brown water, formed by leaves falling into a pot where water was boiling, revitalized and refreshed people. Tea was discovered when it was realized that the tree whose leaves fell into the water was a wild tea tree. Emperor Shen Nong tried to explain to the public that tea was a beneficial plant and made efforts to develop tea cultivation.
In botany, the tea plant belongs to the Angiospermae division (flowering plants); the Dicotyledonea class, and the Theaceae or Camellia family. The generally accepted botanical name is Camellia sinensis (L.) O.Kuntze. The letter (L.) refers to the initial of the botanist Linnaeus, who used the word sinensis; the word O.Kuntze comes from the same botanist combining words to form the name of tea.
Morphologically, tea has 3 varieties.
Chinese Tea (Camellia Sinensis var. Sinensis): Leaves are 4 – 7 cm long, 1 – 2 cm wide, with short petioles, elliptical in shape, and the lateral veins of the leaves are mostly indistinct and consist of 8 – 10 pairs. The number of teeth on the leaf margin is generally over 30.
Chinese tea flowers early and profusely, is densely branched, and robust. It can grow at altitudes up to approximately 1150 m. Aromatic and high-quality tea can be obtained from it. It is resistant to cold, diseases, and drought.
Assam Tea (Camellia Sinensis var. Assamica): The leaf blade is broadly elliptical, 8 – 10 cm long and 3 – 7 cm wide. The leaves are soft, shiny, fine-textured, with distinctly raised interveinal areas. The lateral veins merge before reaching the leaf margin, and a flat surface forms from this junction towards the leaf margin. The lateral veins are 10 – 14 pairs, with distinctly serrated margins and fewer than 30 teeth.
Assam tea is more susceptible to cold, drought, and diseases. It flowers late and sparsely. Under suitable growing conditions, its yield is much higher than that of Chinese tea.
Cambodian Tea (Camellia Sinensis var. Cambodiensis): Leaf size is between Chinese tea and Assam tea. Generally, the leaves are broadly elliptical and resemble other tea varieties in terms of fruit and seed.
When left to grow in nature, the tea plant takes on the appearance of a tree and is long-lived. Tea is pruned and cultivated both to increase the number of branches and thus the harvest, and to facilitate harvesting by keeping it short. Cultivated tea plants are generally accepted to live for 80 years. It is an evergreen plant. In places with sufficient warmth and humidity, such as South India, Sri Lanka, Sumatra, and Kenya, it sprouts all year round. In North India, North China, and Japan, some cool regions of South Africa, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and the Caspian Sea coasts of Iran, and in our country, where there are differences in temperature and humidity between seasons, sprouting occurs intermittently. In cold months, the tea plant enters a dormant period.
Tea Tree
Cultivated Tea Plant
Tea Flower
The tea plant is a flowering plant. Its flower is white and fragrant. The flowering time varies depending on the variety and growing environment. The formation of flowers and seeds leads to the accumulation of aroma in the tea leaves. Therefore, leaves collected during this season are important for producing high-quality tea. The fruits of the tea plant are 2.5 cm in diameter and have 1-4 sections. One seed forms in each section of the fruit. Seeds are generally spherical or hemispherical, 1-2 cm in diameter.
Tea Seed
High-Quality Tea Leaf
The tea we drink is produced by processing the fresh green leaves of the tea plant. Therefore, the production of high-quality tea depends on the characteristics of the leaf. Soil and climate conditions are also important factors influencing the taste of tea. As a general rule, it is recommended to use two leaves and a bud picked from the tip of the shoot for tea production. This is because various substances are concentrated in young leaves and buds.
