Camellia oleifera

In China, Camellia oleifera is widely cultivated, Dr. Ackerman said.

Tea oil is a sweet seasoning and cooking oil made by pressing the seeds of Camellia sinensis or Camellia oleifera.

That led a plant geneticist named Dr. William L. Ackerman to take a close look at one of the survivors, a Camellia oleifera.

Camellia oleifera, which originated in China, is notable as an important source of edible oil (known as tea oil or camellia oil) obtained from its seeds.

The larvae feed on Camellia sinensis, Camellia assamica and Camellia oleifera and are a well-known serious pests of tea trees.

The larvae feed on Camellia sinensis, Camellia oleifera, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Ternstroemia japonica and Pentaphylax euryoides.

A. We checked with the American Camellia Society and they recommend the newer Camellia oleifera hybrids developed in the Washington area by Dr. William Ackerman.

"I doubt that the Chinese were very concerned about the beauty of Camellia oleifera," he said early in December in the arboretum, leaning companionably against a trunk of this giant shrub.

Among the ornamental species, Camellia japonica, Camellia oleifera and Camellia sasanqua are perhaps the most widely known, though most camellias grown for their flowers are cultivars or hybrids.

Tea tree oil should not be confused with tea oil, the sweet seasoning and cooking oil from pressed seeds of the tea plant Camellia sinensis (beverage tea), or the tea oil plant Camellia oleifera.

The seeds of Camellia oleifera can be pressed to yield tea oil, a sweetish seasoning and cooking oil that should not be confused with tea tree oil, an essential oil that is used for medical and cosmetical purposes and originates from the leaves of a different plant.