Dehua Eighteen Scholars Camellia

Dehua Eighteen Scholars Camellia

The Dehua Eighteen Scholars Camellia is a product recognized with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　The Eighteen Scholars camellia is a rare and highly cherished variety among camellias. It boasts an elegant tree form and uniquely structured blossoms, with its hexagonal corolla composed of 70–130 petals arranged in distinct, orderly layers that create a strikingly beautiful visual effect. The petals on adjacent sides are arranged in about 20 whorls, most commonly 18, hence the name “Eighteen Scholars.” The term “Eighteen Scholars” originally refers to a group of 18 literati recruited by Emperor Taizong of Tang (Li Shimin) when he was the Prince of Qin. He established a literary academy west of the imperial city and gathered scholars from across the land. These 18 individuals—among them Du Ruhui, Fang Xuanling, and Lu Deming—were divided into three groups, with six on duty each day to discuss literature, debate history, and explore classical and contemporary ideas. They became known as the Eighteen Scholars, a subject frequently depicted in traditional paintings. Separately, the name also refers to a type of flower—the Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis)—where a premium variety produces up to 18 pure white blooms on a single stem, hence the name Eighteen Scholars. Due to its popularity, the Eighteen Scholars camellia has been widely cultivated in Dehua County, Fujian Province. In 2013, the 11th session of the 17th Dehua County People's Congress Standing Committee officially designated it as the county flower.

　　Dehua Eighteen Scholars Camellia

　　Flower

　　Geographic Range

　　The protected geographical indication area for the Dehua Eighteen Scholars Camellia includes seven towns and 85 villages within Dehua County: Longxun Town, Xunzhong Town, Leifeng Town, Sanban Town, Longmen Tan Town, Guobao Township, and Gaide Town. The region spans from Zhudi Village in Longmen Tan Town in the east, to Baokeng Forest Farm in Gaide Township in the west, to Lingtou Village in Sanban Town in the south, and to Shangzhai Village in Leifeng Town in the north. The total protected area covers 7 townships and 85 villages, with geographic coordinates between 118°5′19"–118°30′20" east longitude and 25°23′55"–25°41′58" north latitude. The total protected area is 63,025 hectares, with an annual cultivation area of 666.7 hectares.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　The Dehua Eighteen Scholars Camellia features a compact plant structure, upright branches, and a full, lush tree form. Its leaves have a distinct waxy texture and a glossy sheen. Flower buds are evenly distributed, and the blooms are medium-sized with fully double petals. The flower color is vibrant, and most notably, the plant exhibits a rich variety of color and form mutations, often displaying multiple colors and shapes on a single plant. Common colors include “multicolor,” white, pink, and red, among which the “multicolor” Eighteen Scholars is the most renowned.