Ternstroemia japonica (Thunb.) Thunb.

 
  • Family : TERNSTROEMIACEAE
    (Tea Family)
  • Family (Hindi name) : CHAAY FAMILY (चाय फैमिली)
  • Family (as per The APG System IV) : Pentaphylacaceae
  • Synonym(s) : Adinandra chingii Metcalf; Adinandra kweichovensis Hu; Cleyera fortunei Hook.f.; Cleyera japonica var. hayatae (Masam. & Yamam.) Kobuski; Cleyera japonica var. kaempferiana (DC.) Sealy; Cleyera japonica var. morii (Yamam.) Masam.; Cleyera japonica subsp. pleiopetala Z.H.Chen, P.L.Chiu & G.Y.Li; Cleyera japonica f. tricolor (Van Geert) Kobuski; Cleyera japonica var. tricolor (Van Geert) G.Nicholson; Cleyera japonica tricolor Van Geert; Cleyera morii (Yamam.) Masam.; Cleyera ochnacea DC.; Cleyera ochnacea var. kaempferiana DC.; Eroteum ochnaceum (DC.) Nakai; Eurya latifolia variegata Veitch ex J.Dix; Eurya ochnacea (DC.) SzyszyÅ‚.; Eurya ochnacea var. contracta (Honda) Makino & Nemoto; Eurya ochnacea var. morii Yamam.; Freziera ochnacea (DC.) Nakai; Freziera ochnoides Wall.; Sakakia hayatae Masam. & Yamam.; Sakakia morii (Yamam.) Yamam. & Masam.; Sakakia ochnacea (DC.) Nakai; Sakakia ochnacea var. contracta Honda; Sakakia ochnacea var. serrata Hayashi; Sakakia ochnacea f. variegata (Veitch ex J.Dix) Nakai; Tristylium hayatae (Masam. & Yamam.) Koidz.; Tristylium morii (Yamam.) Koidz.; Tristylium ochnaceum (DC.) Merr.; Tristylium ochnaceum var. morii (Yamam.) Sasaki; Adinandra japonica (Thunb.) T.L.Ming; Dupinia japonica (Thunb.) Franch.; Mokof japonica (Thunb.) Kuntze; Taonabo japonica (Thunb.) SzyszyÅ‚.; Ternstroemia cleyera Schreb. ex Forsyth f.; Ternstroemia japonica (Thunb.) Thunb.
  • Species Name (as per The IPNI) : Cleyera japonica Thunb.
  • Habit : Tree
  • Habitat : Shola
  • Key identification features : Medium sized trees; Stem woody, smooth, glabrous; Branches subwhorled in 3–5, grayish, erect, two-angled; Leaves subwhorled at branchlet apex, in 4–6, unequal, oblong-ovate, obtuse, apex finely acuminate, coriaceous, dark green above, pale green below, flat, about 3.8 cm long, petioles slightly winged, reddish, approx. 2.5 mm long; Flowers axillary, 1–3, pedunculated, peduncles nodding, single-flowered, approx. 1.3 cm long; Fruit capsule smooth, bilocular.
  • Distribution :
    • Tamil Nadu : Coimbatore district, Madurai district, The Nilgiri district
    • Uttarakhand : Nainital district, Almora district, Bageshwar district, Champawat district, Pithoragarh district, Udham Singh Nagar district
    • Assam : Darrang, Chenglimari Pathar
  • Native : Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam
  • Exotic/Native : Native
  • World Distribution : Himalaya to Temp. E. Asia and N. Indo-China, Philippines
  • Literature :
    • Henry, Kumari & Chithra (1983). Flora of Tamil Nadu, India vol. 1.
    • Chetia, T., et al., Roy, H., & Department of Botany, Cotton University. (2022). Herbarium specimens of Upendra Nath Kanjilal at Cotton University [Journal-article]. RHEEDEA, 32, 59–100. https://dx.doi.org/10.22244/rheedea.2022.32.01.06 Pg.: 68, Catalouge number 3792
  • Read more :
  • Permalink : https://indiatrees-ces.iisc.ac.in/plants.php?name=Ternstroemia japonica
  • Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Deepak Kumar (2026). India Trees and Vegetation Types. Ternstroemia japonica. Downloaded on 4 October 2026.

Herbarium Specimen(s)

Field Image(s)

Habitat

Distribution District wise

India Distribution

World Distribution

GBIF Distribution
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