Theae

Theae is a term that historically appeared in botanical literature to refer collectively to species of the genus used for the production of tea. In some older taxonomic treatments the genus was rendered as Thea, a name derived from the Greek word for brightness or god, reflecting the valued qualities of the leaves. The plural form theae was used to refer to the leaves or cultivars harvested from these plants. Modern botanical nomenclature favors the genus Camellia, but the term theae remains in older texts and regional usage.

Plant descriptions from the 18th and 19th centuries frequently labeled ripe tea leaves as "theae" in botanical plates and scientific descriptions. These documents noted the morphological differences between various tea cultivars, using theae to indicate a group of related species. The term also appeared in the horticultural catalogs of the period, where merchants labeled their products as theae or "Thea leaves" for clarity to European buyers unfamiliar with local plant names.

In culinary contexts theae has occasionally been used by tea connoisseurs and historians to describe bulk tea leaves before modern processing. Some references describe theae as the raw material for black, green, oolong, and white tea varieties, emphasising its role as the foundational ingredient. The term is not employed in contemporary tea grading systems but still surfaces in academic discussions of tea history.

Today theae is largely of historical or scholarly interest, appearing in botanical archives, museum collections, and academic studies of plant taxonomy. Its continued use serves as a reminder of evolving scientific naming conventions and the cultural significance of tea cultivation in regions where the plant has been cultivated for millennia.