— 253 — 



information on this subject now, the more so, as subséquent autliors ') 

 (such as Fortune) hâve giveii a new version of tiie state of affairs; we 

 shall see so in due time. 



Let us now, however, leave the rather spéculative work of the botanists 

 in Europe, and turn to those authors who, on account of their acquaintance 

 u'ith the living tea plant iii its natural surroundings, are entitled to more 

 confidence than the former. Hère, as well as in the above review, we 

 hâve to direct our attention especially to such botanical varieties as 

 possess practical merits or disadvantages. 



The first author having recorded such différences in usefulness is in 

 ail probability the jesuit du Halde (1736), who gives this statement^): 

 „Le Thé, dont les feuilles sont longues et grandes, est le meilleur. Au 

 «contraire, celui qui les a courtes et petites, est le moins bon. Celui, dont 

 „les feuilles sont recoquillées, est le plus excellent; et celui qui a les 

 „feuilles étendues, est le pire." The word „recoquillées'", or „curled" in 

 the English édition, is taken by Watt 3) in the sensé of „bullate" (French : 

 „bombé") like Indian tea leaves; 1 think it more likely, however, that the 

 form in view is the rigida-type niihi (to be described more fully in a 

 subséquent division of this paper), characterised by the folding upwards 

 of the leaf halves so as to form a boat-shaped organ. 



Von Siebold distinguishes two groups of two varieties each ^), viz., 



') W. J. HOOKER (1832) gives the following statement, derived froni Mr. Cli. Millett 

 who in 1827 ,,held a high officiai situation in the Company's Factory at Canton": 

 „0f the plants there are two kinds; of which one has a leaf of a miich darker 

 ,,green than the other. This différence may partly arise from cultivation: but it is 



,,the various modes of préparation, that the green and biack Teas of the 



,,shops are due." 



2) J. B. DU Halde 1736; III, p. 586: „Du thé." — In the English translation, cited by 



Watt (1908), it says: ,, that which hath its leaves curled is the 



„most valuable, and that which hath them quite smooth is the worst." 



3) G. Watt 1908, p. 210. 



*) P. F. VON Siebold 1852, p. 14: „FoIiis minoribus, satiirafius viridibus {Th. Bolica 

 aliorum)" : 



„x. stricta; foliis elliptico-oblongis, subrugosis, latitudine duplo longioribus, acutis, 

 ,,ramis strictis erectis. 



[Ordinary variety, Jap. and Chin. Cho.] 



„P. rugosa; foliis ellipticis obovalibusve, rugosis, latitudine vix duplo longioribus, 

 „obtusis, ramis erectis." 



[Having run wild, Jap. Yama c/zo = ,,mountain tea."] 

 ,,Foliis majoribus laetius viridibus (Th. viridis aliorum)": 



,,y. diffusa; foliis lanceolatis, planis, latitudine triplo longioribus, utrinque acunii- 

 „natis, ramis diffusis. 



[Rare; Jap. Tsuru cha ,,creeping tea"; Southern Japan.] 



„rî. macrophylla; foliis ellipticis, magnis, latitudine triplo longioribus, ramis erectis." 



(In gardens; Jap. To cha = Thâng cha ~ ,,Ch\nese tea", or /V/>ac/za -^ ,,bitter tea".] 



To thèse 4 forms F. A. W. MlQUEL (1867, p. 17) adds a fifth, small-leaved var. 

 parvifolia Miq., and describes it as follows: ,, foliis parvis ellipticis vel obovato- 

 ,, ellipticis subobtusis vel apice rotundatis, '2—1^/4 poll. longis, crassis." 



The reader may aiso be referred to Miquel's diagnoses from Siebold's varieties. 



