THEACEAE

the tea family of plants in the order Theales. The Theaceae comprises about 40 genera of trees or shrubs native to temperate and tropical regions of both hemispheres, including several ornamental plants, one that is the source of tea. Members of the family have evergreen leaves and flowers with five sepals (leaflike structures) and petals and numerous stamens inserted at the base of the ovary. The Camellia (q.v.; formerly Thea) genus includes the tea plant of commerce and many popular ornamental flowering shrubs. Plants of the genera Franklinia, Gordonia, and Stewartia bear camellia-like white blooms, often with purple or yellow-orange stamens. Three members of the genus Eurya, from East Asia, are slow-growing, low foundation plants. They have small yellow-green flowers and glossy leaves with prominent, sunken veins. A similar species, Cleyera japonica, has fragrant, creamy-white blooms followed by dark red, puffy berries. Ternstroemia japonica, a small Asian tree, bears slightly fragrant flowers among bronze-coloured, red-stalked leaves.