It is a loosely branched shrub or small tree, which can grow up to Шаблон:Convert in height.[3] The leaves are elliptic to oblong-elliptic, Шаблон:Convert long and Шаблон:Convert wide. The flowers are Шаблон:Convert in diameter, or larger in some cultivars, soft-pink to deep-pink and rarely almost white, with 5–7 petals or more in some cultivars,[4] and are produced in sub-terminal or axillary positions on the branch.[4] The fruit is a light brown, three-segmented capsule, about Шаблон:Convert in diameter that ripens in the fall[5] This Camellia is very susceptible to cold weather and has a late blooming season; August through October in the southern hemisphere and March through May in the northern hemisphere.[6]
Symbolism and uses
Camellia reticulata is the floral emblem of Yunnan. It has a long history of cultivation, both for tea oil and for its ornamental value.[7]
In 1820, Captain Richard Rawes of the East IndiamanWarren Hastings imported the first reticulata to England, (named 'Captain Rawes'). It remained the only known reticulata cultivated in Europe for over a century.[8]
