The efforts to genetically improve teaoil camellia, Camellia oleifera Abel, started more than two thousand years ago when forest dwellers chose to use seeds to extract table oil and later selectively planted teaoil camellia trees. Since the 1970s, China has sponsored many national-level projects on genetics studies and selective breeding of this taxon. So far, over 200 superior cultivars, families, clones, and hybrids have been selected, and those varieties have markedly improved the productivity of teaoil by renovation of low-yielding plantations and application of superior new varieties. The...
