Menghai Daye

Ministry of Agriculture and Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. 1990. Collection on the improved tea varieties in China. p.28-29

Small arbor type. Extremely large-leaf size. Early sprouting.

Originatedin the Nannuo Mountain (Menghai county, Yunnan province). It is mainlydistributed in the southern part of Yunnan province. It was introduced and cultivatedin the Suichuan, Guangdong and Guangxi in a large area.       

Planttall, the maximum height is more than 6~7m with higher branchingpositionand sparse density. Plant opened type m shape. Leaves horizontal or inclines upwards.Length 12.7-25.3cm and width 5.0-8.4cm, oblong or long-oblong in shape, withacuminate or acutely pointed, tip and protuberant surface. Green in color and glossy.Thicker and softer in texture, with slightly waved margin as well as neat and roughserrations. The sprouting period in the spring season appears in the thirdten     days of February in the Menghai county. Thepeak period of the shoots with one bud and three leaves appears in the first tosecond ten days of March. With potent sprouting ability and sparse sproutingdensity. Shoots stout with yellow-green color with profuse hairs and obvioustenderness-keeping ability. The weight of 100 one bud and three leaves shootsaveraged 153.2g. The peak period of flowering stage appears in the first tendays of October. With low bearing percentage and low cold-hardiness.    

Ratherhigh yielding. The yield of made tea in an area of more than 700 mu  tea garden m the Nanglang River (Menghaicounty) averaged more than 100 kg per mu. In an area of more than 200 mu teagarden in the Tea Research Institute. Yun¬ nan Academy of Agricultural Sciences,the annual yield of made tea averaged 150kg per mu. 

Accordingto the analysis conducted by the Tea Research Institute, Yunnan Academy ofAgricultural Sciences, the contents of caffeine in the one bud and two leavesshoots  averaged 4： .06 %，amino acids 2.26%，tea polyphenols 32.77%，total catechins 181.72 mg/g.Suitable for the manufacture of black tea and Dian green tea, and showed superbquality. It was recognized as the fine raw material for manufacturing the top qualityPu-erh tea.

Suitableto popularize in the tea area in west-southern part and southern part of Chinafor the manufacture of black tea，Dian-green tea and Pu-erh.    The requirements of cultivating is similiarto that of Mengku Daye.         

Alternative name: Fohai Cha. 

农业部农业司，中国农业科学院茶叶研究所. 1990. 《中国茶树优良品种集》. 28-29页。

又名佛海茶，有性繁殖系品种。小乔木型，特大叶类，早芽种。

原产云南省勐海县南糯山，主要分布在滇南一带。自50年代起，四川、广 东、广西等省（区)有较大面积的引种栽培。

植株高大，最高达6~7m以上，分枝部位高，分枝稀疏，树姿开张，叶片 呈水平或上斜着生。叶片长12.7~25.3 cm，宽5.0~8.4cm，叶形椭圆或长椭圆， 叶尖渐尖或急尖，叶面隆起，叶色绿，富光泽，叶片较厚，叶质较软，叶缘微 波，叶齿粗而整齐。春芽萌发期当地在2月下旬，一芽三叶盛期在3月上、中旬。育芽能力强，发芽密度稀，芽叶粗壮，色泽黄绿，茸毛多，持嫩性强，一 芽三叶百芽重平均153.2g，盛花期在10月上旬，结实率低。抗寒性较弱。

产量较高，勐海南朗河700余亩茶园，平均亩产100多kg。云南省农业科学院茶叶研究所200多亩，平均亩产150kg。

据云南省农业科学院茶叶研究所分析，春茶一芽二叶鲜叶含咖啡碱 4.06%，氨基酸2.26%，茶多酚32.77%，儿茶素总量181.72mg/g。适制红茶 和滇绿茶，品质优良。亦为优质普洱茶的原料。

适宜在西南和华南部分茶区（红茶、滇绿及普洱茶)推广。

栽培要求与勐库大叶种同。