- 263 — 



„by 50-75 mM.]; ovate, oblong, acuminate, thin, almost membraneouS, 

 „curved and inflated, with, as a ruie, sixteen primary nerves, and the tissue 

 „between thèse thin, crisp in texture, pale green in colour, bullated and 

 „profusely reticulated, pale green on the veins; under surface roughened 

 „by a multitude of fairly large warts ') that produce the effect of being 

 „impressed froni above by a multitude of sharp points Inflorescence 

 „often solitary; flowers stalked, but not borne on a distinct common 



„peduncle There are numerous sub-races of the présent plant, 



,,such as the Singlo, Bazelona, etc. It is the most abundantly cultivated 

 „and most highly prized of ail the Indian races." 



„Race 2, Lushai. —T\\'\s becomes a poplar-like small tree of perhaps 

 ,,50 to 60 feet in height. Leaves when full grown average from 8 to 14 

 „inches in length and as much as 4 to 6 inches in breadth [ i. e. 200-350 

 ,,mM. by 100-150 niM. ] It is the largest-leaved form of the tea plant as 

 „yet made known ; far larger than anything recorded regarding the tea 

 „plants of China The leaves possess from twenty-two to twenty-four 

 ,, prominent veins, but in texture and surface markings are identical with 

 ,,the Assam indigenous. This form has only to a small extent been grown 

 ,.in Sylhet and Chittagong, and it exists almost entirely as a local mani- 

 ,.festation of the wild plant." 



,,Race 3, Naga Hills. — A small straggling tree with few ascending 

 ,, branches. It is especially plentiful near Pherima at an altitude of 2000 

 „feet. Leaves much elongated, linear, oblong, from 4 to 9 inches in 

 „lengtli and only 2 to 3 in breadth at their greatest diameter [ i. e. 

 ,,100-225 niM. by 50-75 mM. ]. In texture <&c. it much resembles the 

 „Assam. It has to some extent been cultivated in Assam, as, for example 

 „at Amguri, and it is reported to hâve been specially used in crossing^) 

 ,,with the „Assam Indigenous"." 



„Race 4, Manipur. —The wild tea plant of Manipur is never cultivated 

 „in the State of Manipur; it is there purely and simply a wild plant, found 

 „in the forests. When carried to Cachar, Sylhet, and even Assam, however, 

 „the Manipur stock has been fairly largely grown and even crossed with 

 „some of the other stocks. It is characterised by exceptionally broad leaves, 

 „almost elliptic, oblong in shape, and measuring 6 to 8 inches in length 

 ,,and VI, to 3'/2 in breadth [ 150-200 mM. by 62-87 mM. ]. In texture the 

 „leaves are soft and leathery, are of a dark green colour, and hâve the 

 „reticulations sparse and open. This is in fact one of the broadest-leaved 

 „forms of the Indian indigenous races, and has probably contributed largely 

 „towards the formation of the specially dark green plants, seen in many 

 „plantations, but which are regarded as being „Assam indigenous tea"." 



„Race 5, Burma and Sfian. — Too little is known regarding thèse tea 

 „plants to allow of critical séparation from the other races; the présent 



') Cork proliférations at the base of epidermal bairs; cp. KoCHS 1900, p. 612. 



2) Presumably this expression ought not to be understood in the sensé of intentional 



Crossing experiments, but rather as intimating that there exist a large number of 



plants considered as (accidentai) hybrids between both races. 



