Camellia sinensis (leaf)

Tea (leaf) (Camellia sinensis)

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Microscopic specification, Ph. Fr. (Camellia sinensis): A transverse section of the Green Tea exhibits a prominent rib on the lower surface. Stained with alum-steeped carmine-green reagent, the main rib exhibits a libero-ligneous (book or page like) arc of secondary structure surrounded by lignified pericyclic fibers. The lower epidermis of the lamina is stomatiferous and bears thick-walled, flexuous, conical, unicellular protective hairs. The mesophyll, asymmetrical heterogeneous, comprises a single layer of palisade parenchyma and several layers of spongy parenchyma which includes large ramified (branched) sclerites which can extend from one epidermis to the other.

Twin crystals of calcium oxalate are present in all parenchyma. In a lactic reagent, powdered green tea (300) is grayish-green in color, exhibits fragments of lamina comprising the non-stomatiferous upper epidermis, the chlorophyllian palisade parenchyma and the spongy parenchyma included in which are large bright yellow ramified sclerites and twin crystals of calcium oxalate. The lower epidermis comprises stomata surrounded by 3 or 4 adjoining cells and flexuous, unicellular protective hairs with conical ends and thick walls.