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The Ancestor of Yunnan Camellia:
Red Flower Camellia Oleifera
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The camellia is one of the ten most famous
flowers in China, and ranks first among the eight most famous
flowers in Yunnan. Therefore, it is honored as the City Flower
of Kunming. The original species of the camellia is the red-flower
camellia oleifera in Tengchong. It is a wild plant with thick
and strong trunk and branches. The tree is tall and beautiful;
when it is in full bloom, its flowers look delicate and charming.
The red-flower camellia oleifera are found mainly in the mountain
areas in Yunhua, Qushi and Jietou of Tengchong. Only in Yunhua
there is over 7,000 mu of such camellias. Late in winter and
early in spring during the flowering season, the trees are
attractively in full bloom, making the whole area a flaming
flower sea. That is one of the major scenic spots in Tengchong.
The red-flower camellia oleifera is well-known not only for
its beautiful flowers but also for its fruit, from which oil
can be extracted. It is of high economic value and called
"Green Oil Reservoir". The state has decided to
build Tengchong into a base of the red-flower camellia oleifera.
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