Theaceae

Theaceae are a family of flowering plants, composed of shrubs and trees recognizable by their thick, serrate, usually glossy leaves. Genus Camellia is the best known, and includes the plant whose leaves are used to produce tea (Camellia sinensis), as well as the several species of Camellia grown widely for their flowers and handsome foliage. Family Theaceae is part of order Ericales, in the branch of the dicots known as the Asterids. Most of the species are native to Malesia and Southeast Asia, with one genus (Franklinia) native to the southeastern United States.