''Stewartia ovata'', known commonly as mountain camellia, is a small tree native to low to mid-elevations in the southern Appalachian Mountains and nearby regions from Mississippi to Virginia. It is a member of the Theaceae, the tea family. Although not endangered, the plant does have a limited range and is uncommon throughout its range. Mountain camellia grows in the understory of predominantly hardwood forests and tends to be found near streams, usually at elevations below .

Description

''Stewartia ovata'' is a deciduous flowering

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

or small tree growing to 5 meters (16 2/3 feet) tall, with smooth, flaking grayish-orange bark. The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are oval with an acute apex, long and broad, and turn orange, red, or gold when the tree becomes dormant in the fall. The flowers are camellia-like, in diameter, with five white petals and numerous white, yellow or purple stamens; they appear in early to mid-summer.Flora of North America, ''Stewartia ovata'' (Cavanilles) Weatherby, 1939. Mountain camellia or stewartia
/ref> ;Varieties There are two varieties: *''Stewartia ovata'' var. ''ovata'' — flowers 6–8 cm diameter, stamens white to yellow. *''Stewartia ovata'' var. ''grandiflora'' (W.J.Bean) Weatherby — flowers up to 12 cm diameter, stamens purple.

References

NatureServe profile: ''Stewartia ovata''

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7615995 ovata Endemic flora of the United States Flora of the Southeastern United States Natural history of the Great Smoky Mountains Plants described in 1787 Taxa named by Antonio José Cavanilles