Study on the Biological Characteristics and Scanning Electron Microscopy Features of Camellia guizhouensis

Abstract This study investigates the genetic relationship between Camellia guizhouensis S.Y.Liang et T.L.Ming ( C. guizhouensis ) and species of Camellia sect. Chrysantha (Theaceae), to provide taxonomic evidence for species identification based on the microscopic morphology of leaves and pollen, while supporting the sustainable and efficient utilization of C. guizhouensis as a characteristic tea resource. Comparative analyses were conducted on naturally occurring seedling populations in the native habitat of C. guizhouensis through regular fixed-point observations of new shoot emergence and the flowering and fruiting phenological stages. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the microscopic characteristics of mature leaves and pollen from both red-bud and green-bud phenotypes, including pollen germination apertures, exine surface ornamentation, and pollen grain size. The results showed that the leaf and pollen microstructures of both phenotypes shared the characteristic morphological features of species within Camellia sect. Chrysantha , indicating a close genetic affinity between C. guizhouensis and other members of this section. Furthermore, differences in pollen morphology confirmed that C. guizhouensis is taxonomically distinct from the morphologically similar Camellia tunghinensis ( C. tunghinensis ).