add. ·noun an ornamental greenhouse shrub (thea japonica) with glossy evergreen leaves and roselike red or white double flowers.
2. camellia ·noun an asiatic genus of small shrubs, often with shining leaves and showy flowers. camellia japonica is much cultivated for ornament, and c. sassanqua and c. oleifera are grown in china for the oil which is pressed from their seeds. the tea plant is now referred to this genus under the name of camellia thea.