From the Wild to the Cup: Tracking Footprints of the Tea Species in Time and Space.

ABSTRACT: Tea is one of the world's most popular beverages, known for its cultural significance and numerous health benefits. A clear understanding of the origin and history of domestication of the tea species is a fundamental pre-requisite for effective germplasm conservation and improvement. Though there is a general consensus about the center of origin of the tea plant, the evolutionary origin and expansion history of the species remain shrouded in controversy, with studies often reporting conflicting findings. This mini review provides a concise summary of the current state of knowledge regarding the origin, domestication, and dissemination of the species around the world. We note that tea was domesticated around 3000 B.C. either from non-tea wild relatives (probably Camellia grandibracteata<

SUBMITTER: Wambulwa MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8377202 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature