-- 254 — 



y., sfricta (branches stiff, straight, ascending); /?. nigosa (leaves wrinkled) ; 

 :'. diffusa (branches outstretched); ^. //zacrop/zy/Za (iarge-leaved). The former 

 two varieties hâve small dark green leaves, the latter two large light- 

 coloured ones. We miist observe hère that Siebold's var. strlcta rneans 

 somethiiig quite différent from strlcta Aiton, since the former refers to 

 the ramification, the second to the leaf! For the rest there apparently 

 exists some relation between his nomenclature and that of his predecessors, 

 and I think his stricta + nigosa may be identified with stricta + loxa 

 according to Aiton's conception, i.e the bohea-group as the author himself 

 puts it; whereas the large light-greenieaves oi diffusa -{- macrophylla make 

 us understand that von Siebold intended to split the species viridis LwN. 

 into two varieties. Concerning the var. rugosa Sieb. („runzelig" in the 

 German version) we may suppose it to mean „bullate", projecting between 

 the veins. 



The fourth form mentioned, var. macrcp/z^'/Za Sieb., justly characterised 

 by M[QUEL (loc. cit.) as ,,widely différent from the other varieties", is of 

 peculiar interest. Fig. 7, a reproduction of the authentical spécimen (Herb, 

 Lugd. Bat. No. 908-249-291). shows us leaves 120- .MO mM. in length and 

 50-60 niM. in width; it might hâve been regarded as Assam tea, but for 

 the absence of the acuminate leaf top that is an essential feature of that 

 type, it is in fact China tea, only a large-leaved form of it ! Von Siebold 

 himself wrote on the label: „culta in hortis botanophilorum, sed ob ama- 

 ritiem pro potu Theae non adhibetur"; perhaps this tea is too sirong for 

 Japanese taste, just as China tea lacks strength- for us Europeans ? It 

 would be worth the trouble to study this plant, which seems to live 

 still in japan '). Von Siebold says that it „soll in den siidlichen Land- 

 ..schaften von Schina verwildert, unter dem Namen Schân tschâ, vorkommen 

 „und von der ârmeren Volksklasse benutzt werden."^) Now this reminds 

 us of the statement of Bourne^) that the province of Yunnan possesses 

 a wild-growing „San Ch'a"; but this interesting fact is reduced to veiy 

 small dimensions when we know that in China San c/za = mountain tea, 



usually dénotes Camellia japonica ! Again we must recognize that 



vernacular names are as often liable to misguide us as to bring us on 

 the right track. 



We ovve a very detailed account on Chincse tea varieties to the Dutch 

 pioneer of tea culture in Java, Mr. Jacobson, who as we saw in the first 

 chapter, was six times despatched to China in order to get information, 

 seed, tools and labourers for the establishing of tea manufacture in Java. 

 Doubtlessly he, more than former visitors, will hâve looked out for anything 

 interesting. Accordingly, his ,,Haiidbook for the cuitivation and manufacture 



') According to KOCHS (1900, p. 605), prof. MlYOSHl told him so. I hâve myself asked 

 tiiis botanist to send me dried samples and some seed from this vdriety but received 

 tlie former only, as the plant, prof. M. wrote me, very rarely fruits at aU. In the next 

 division of my paper I will publish some statistical détails on it. 



-) P. F. Von Siebold 1852, p. 15. 



^) F. S. A. BOURNE 1888, p. 10. 



