Camellia furfuracea (Merr.) Cohen-Stuart, Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg 1(4): 240. 1919.

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

3. Camellia furfuracea (Merr.) Cohen-Stuart, Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg 1(4): 240. 1919.

Thea furfuracea ≡ Thea furfuracea Merr., Philipp. J. Sci., C 13: 149. 1918. Holotype: China. Guangdong: Huizhou, Boluo, Luofu Mountain, 9-27 August 1917, E.D. Merrill 10681 (PNH 87432, image!).

Thea bolovenensis = Thea bolovenensis Gagnep., Notul. Syst. (Paris) 10: 124. 1942. Lectotype (designated by Ming [2000: 225]): Laos. Champasak: Plateau des Boloven, entre Nong Bok Kao et Phong Tham, 900 m, 6 October 1928, E. Poilane 15856 (K 000704324!).

Camellia suaveolens = Camellia suaveolens C.X. Ye, X.J. Wang & X.G. Shi, Acta Sci. Nat. Univ. Sunyatseni 43(3): 129. 2004. Holotype: China. Guangdong: Yingde, cultivated, introduced from Lechang, 27 October 2002, C.X. Ye 5919 (SYS 00142796!).

Camellia maiana = Camellia maiana Orel, Novon 20(2): 198. 2010. Holotype: Vietnam. Lam Dong: Dalat Plateau, 19 November 2002, G. Orel et al. 21149 (NSW 901884, image!).

Camellia curryana = Camellia curryana Orel & Luu, Nordic J. Bot. 32(1): 42. 2014. Holotype: Vietnam. Lam Dong: Dalat Plateau, 27 February 2002, G. Orel et al. 21147 (NSW 901031, image!).

Camellia duyana = Camellia duyana Orel, Curry & Luu, Novon 23(3): 308. 2014. Holotype: Vietnam. Lam Dong: Dalat Plateau, ca. 1400 m, 27 November 2010, G. Orel & N.V. Duy 0719 (NSW 901883, image!).

Camellia albata = Camellia albata Orel & Curry, Pursuit Hidden Camellias Vietnam China 239. 2015. Holotype: Vietnam. Quang Ninh, 2 December 1999, G. Orel et al. 991202c (NSW 901898 [sheet 1 of 2, image!] and NSW 849513 [sheet 2 of 2, image!]).

Camellia reflexa = Camellia reflexa Orel & Curry, Pursuit Hidden Camellias Vietnam China 209. 2015. Holotype: Vietnam. Vinh Phuc: Tam Dao National Park, 2 April 2001, G. Orel et al. 1240 (NSW 901749, image!).

Camellia viscosa = Camellia viscosa Orel & Curry, Pursuit Hidden Camellias Vietnam China 214. 2015. Holotype: Vietnam. Lam Dong: Dalat Plateau, 19 November 2002, G. Orel et al. 21148G (NSW 901821, image!).

Description.

Shrubs or trees up to 15 m tall. New branchlets glabrous; terminal buds glabrous or puberulous. Petioles 3-12 mm long, glabrous; leaf blades elliptic or oblong, 7.5-17 × 3-7 cm, coriaceous, abaxially yellowish or pale green, brown punctate or glabrous, adaxially dark green, glabrous and shiny, midrib abaxially elevated and adaxially channelled, secondary veins 7-11 on each side of midrib, abaxially raised and adaxially slightly impressed, base attenuate, cuneate or obtuse, margin sparsely serrulate, apex attenuate, acute or obtuse. Flowers solitary or paired, 4-6 cm in diam. Pedicels 1-3 mm long. Bracteoles and sepals 6-9, caducous, crescent or ovate, 2-13 × 3.5-20 mm, abaxially puberulous or pubescent, adaxially glabrous, margin membranous. Petals 6-9 in 1-2 whorls, white, elliptic or obovate, 17-25 × 9-15 mm, abaxially puberulous or glabrous, adaxially glabrous, basally connate for 1-2 mm. Stamens numerous, 10-15 mm long; filaments glabrous, basally adnate to petals for ca. 2 mm. Ovary ovoid or globose, pubescent. Styles 3-4, distinct, 6-10 mm long, pubescent and gradually becoming glabrous apically. Capsule oblate or globose, 3-5 cm in diam., 2-3 cm in height; usually 3-loculed with 1-3 seed per locule; pericarp 1-10 mm thick, furfuraceous. Seeds brown or fuscous, hemispherical or polyhedral, 1.5-2 cm in diam., glabrous Fig. 4 .

Phenology.

Flowering October-February, fruiting December-April.

Distribution and habitat.

Camellia furfuracea is distributed in the evergreen forest, on slopes or along streams at elevations of 450-1800 m in China, Laos, Thailand (Fig. 2 ), and Vietnam.

Additional specimens examined.

Chanthaburi: Pong Nam Ron, Khao Soi Dao, ca. 1600 m, 23 January 1956, Smitinand 3242 (BKF SN060898), 1100 m, 5 April 1974, Smitinand 11994 (BKF SN060894), 1650 m, 9 February 1975, Smitinand 12023 (BKF SN060895, BKF SN060896, P 04500286; Fig. 4 ); Soi Dao, Khao Soi Dao, 1300-1400 m, 12 December 1924, Kerr 9638 (BK 203925, BM, C, K, P 04500307).

Notes.

Camellia furfuracea is absent in Keng (1972). A specimen of C. furfuracea collected in 1956, Smitinand 3242 at BKF, was misidentified as C. oleifera var. confusa by Keng in 1970. Zhao (2021) recognized six heterotypic synonyms of C. furfuracea and referenced specimens from Thailand (listed above), which made the species a new record to the country. Camellia furfuracea widely occurs in subtropical and tropical China and Indochina. It can be distinguished from C. kissi Wall. var. confusa (Craib) T.L. Ming by its glabrous new branchlets, usually abaxially punctate leaves and apically divided ovary with distinct styles (Fig. 4 ), whereas the latter bears puberulous new branchlets, abaxially glabrous leaves and basally connate styles.

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 4. Dry specimens of Camellia furfuracea, Smitinand 12023 at BKF A specimen sheet B, C flower fragments D a part of pericarp along a branchlet bearing a pedicel and gynoecium remains E a broken seed. The minimum graduation of the rulers represents 1 mm.