Camellia yangii A. Habit; B, C. Branchlets; D. Abaxial surface of leaf; E. Flower buds; F. Flower; G. A dissected flower without bracteoles, 1-sepals, 2-petals, 3-androecium, 4-pedicel, receptacle and gynoecium; H. Bracteoles; I. Pedicel, receptacle and gynoecium of a flower; J, K. Capsule. Scale bars: 5 cm (C); 1 cm (E, I, J, K); 2 cm (F); 2 mm (H). Photo credit: Zhao D.W. (A); Yang S.X. (B–K).
In the remote mountain forests of Yunnan, China, scientists have identified a new species of tea plant — a rare and hairy discovery named Camellia yangii. With fewer than 10 individual plants observed in the wild, urgent conservation measures are needed to preserve the future of tea biodiversity.
Tea, as the world knows it, comes from a single species: Camellia sinensis. It’s the only tea plant species cultivated on a commercial scale. Whether it’s green, black, oolong, or white tea, it all comes from C. sinensis — a species that has been bred and spread globally for centuries. But C. sinensis is just one member of a much larger botanical family. Wild relatives, such as C. taliensis, C. ptilophylla, and now C. yangii, grow in the forests of Asia and represent valuable genetic resources.
Camellia yangii was found flowering in late December 2023 in Malipo County, Yunnan — a full month later than other nearby tea plants. Its late flowering period suggests it doesn’t naturally hybridize with other species, further confirming its uniqueness. The plant is striking in appearance: densely hairy on its shoots, buds, and sepals, and producing large white flowers with only three sepals instead of the usual five.
Described by Dr. Dongwei Zhao of the Central South University of Forestry and Technology, the new species was officially published in the botanical journal PhytoKeys in June 2025. Its unique features, especially its dense indumentum (plant hair), set it apart both morphologically and genetically. DNA analysis confirmed that C. yangii belongs to Camellia section Thea, the same group as C. sinensis, and is closely related to C. longissima and C. taliensis. But even among these, C. yangii stands alone in its combination of traits.
So far, it has only been observed in one vulnerable population within a tropical evergreen forest. The researchers are keeping its exact location confidential to protect it from overexploitation. They emphasize the urgent need for in situ conservation and ex situ propagation to prevent its extinction.
Though C. yangii is not commercially cultivated like C. sinensis, its discovery is important. Wild tea species often contain useful traits — such as pest resistance, climate tolerance, or unique biochemical compounds — that might one day be used in breeding programs. This makes C. yangii a rare but valuable germplasm resource.
“Camellia yangii is named after the leading collector of its type, Dr. Shixiong Yang, an expert of the family Theaceae at Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences,” Zhao states.
Its Chinese name, 三萼茶 (Sān'è chá), meaning “three-sepal tea,” reflects this unusual trait. Most Camellia species, including cultivated tea, have five sepals — the green outside part of a flower that protects when it’s a bud and supports when it blooms.
“However, the top priority for the new species should be conservation,” writes Zhao. “Camellia yangii is known from only a single population, comprising fewer than 10 individuals, in the tropical mountain forest. It is extremely vulnerable to overexploitation or deforestation…Further field surveys and ex-situ asexual propagations are urgently needed for C. yangii to avoid extinction.”
For tea enthusiasts, the discovery is also a reminder that the world of tea is far more diverse than what’s in their cup. While mostly C. sinensis reaches the marketplace, the forest still holds secrets — including wild cousins like C. yangii — that enrich the story of tea.