Abstract

White young shoots from albino tea cultivars have high level of amino acids and are rare and valuable materials for processing green tea. The effects of temperature on leaf colour, accumulation of chlorophylls and leaf ultrastructures of an albino tea cultivar ‘Xiaxueya’ were investigated. The study showed that the shoot albino phenomenon of ‘Xiaoxueya’ was controlled by temperature. The development of chloroplast from etioplast and the accumulation of chlorophylls a and b were blocked and albino shoots were observed at 15ËšC. However, the albino phenomenon was reversed when the plant was grown at 20ËšC or above. The authors recommended that the albino tea cultivars should be grown at high altitude or high latitude areas so as to prolong the production season of albino tea shoots.

Key words: Camellia sinensis, albino tea, chloroplast, etioplast, colour difference, amino acids.