The position of the genus Camellia L. (Theaceae) in some classification systems

Abstract

The genus Camellia was first established by Linnaeus in “Species Plantarum”. It is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. More than 400 species have been named and published, but the number has been reduced to between 80 and 280 species by combination during taxonomic revisions. Distribution of this species ranges from Bhutan, Northeastern India, China, Japan, to Southeast Asia. Many studies have been conducted to classify the genus Camellia based on morphological characteristics or molecular biological techniques. Through studies, it is shown that the morphological characteristics of fruits, flowers, and leaves are still important for the classification and arrangement of the Camellia genus in the classification system. Over different periods, the genus Camellia was classified into different positions in the classification systems. Some research on taxonomic systems of the Theaceae family determined the position of the genus Camellia. Although the genus Camellia can be categorized into different sub-families, tribes, or sub-tribes, the genus name Camellia has remained. The position of the genus Camellia belongs to the Theaceae family.

Keywords

• camellia
• classification system
• theaceae
• taxonomy
• morphological characteristics