A kind of tea tree, wild, the leaves will become thicker and very delicious. I call it Cha Pian here. What is its scientific name and why the leaves become thicker.

The Chinese scientific name is Tremella foliacea (tea ear). The Latin scientific name is Tremella foliacea. Local names: tea slices (Hunan), red fungus, purple fungus (Yunnan), red fungus, blood fungus (Hubei, Baokang).

Tea ears are also called tea ears.

As the name suggests, Cha Gua is a leaf that grows on the Camellia oleifera tree.

Tea ears should be a metamorphosis of tea leaves (tea buds should be a metamorphosis of tea seeds (fruit)). They are white in color (sometimes reddish) and shaped like camellia oleifera leaves, but are particularly thick, sweet, crunchy, and very refreshing.

A young leaf growing on the Camellia oleifera tree.

It is white, tender, shiny and chubby. It grows on new branches of tea trees, usually on the waist of the tree.

It's okay to eat.

The most famous is the tea ear from Chafeng in Leiyang, Hunan.

There are several conditions for its formation. First, there must be new leaves (or new fruits). Second, there must be sufficient water. Third, there must be sufficient sunlight. These conditions can be met in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

There is a lot of rain when the tea tree changes new leaves, and the tea fruits are still very small at this time. Abnormal growth caused by Exobasldium gracil opens into tea ears (tea buds).

This kind of growth is somewhat similar to an animal's "tumor", which will decompose some of its own cellulose and turn it into sugar, so it tastes a bit sweet, but these abnormal things will not live very long [2]?