— 268 — 



,jand joints. Calyx forming what simulâtes two distinct whorls. the innef 

 ,,erect and the outer somewhat spreading, sepals sniall, round, more or 

 „less densely coated witii adpressed, rust-coloured, shining hairs." 



Besides Wallich's samples quoted above, dated 1822 and 1829, tliere 

 exist two spécimens collected by Cuming in Malacca in 1841 (Nrs. 2267 

 and 2268, the latter reproduced in Watt's paper 1907 '). In Griffith's 

 herbarium the form is represented by one sample from Malacca and one 

 apparently grown in India from seed supposed to hâve come from China. 

 In HoHENACKER's herbarium at Kew there is another sample cultivated 

 in India and collected at Mangalor in 1847 Finally, from the Luxembourg's 

 Garden we hâve a spécimen cultivated from seed furnished by Hardy in 1816. 



„This curiously interesting tropical variety of C. r//£0 Link", Sir Watt 

 adds, „may possibly, by future botanists, be regarded as a distinct species. 

 ,,I hâve preferred, in removing it from the obscurity and ambiguity v^ith 

 „which it has hitherto been enveloped, to retain it as a variety of the tea 

 ,, plant — first, because it appears to be cultivated in the belief that it is 

 „one of the forms of the true tea plant; secondly, because it is a more 

 „distinctly tropical plant than any of the other known varieties; and 

 „thirdly, because it may hâve originated some of the so-called varieties 

 „or hybrids of tea plant, such as var. stricto." 



Now I think Sir Watt highly exaggerates the importance of this 

 hairy form, which to ail appearances. and especially so on account of 

 the référence made to the Malacca spécimens of Cuming and others, is 

 absolutely identical with Pierre's var. pubescens, described on 

 p. 261 of this chapter '). It seems extremely improbable that Malacca and 

 Pulo Penang should possess an endémie tea plant, left unnoticed — as Watt 

 himself remarks — both by the numerous tradesmen and by the able 

 botanists who since long hâve frequented thèse coasts. Besides, the occur- 

 rence of this form is by no means restricted to Malacca, since we observed, 

 and. again. Watt himself knows very well, that a hairy calyx is one of 

 the most striking features of the P'u-êrh (I-bang) tea plant in Yun-nan. 



I will later on once more revert to his form and to the other 

 varieties of Watt. 



Additional information about the interrelationship of the Indian and 

 Burmo-Shan forms may be derived from an interview I had with Sir 

 Prain (formerly director of the Royal Bot. Gardens at Calcutta, at présent 

 director of the Kew Gardens, one of the few persons who hâve personally 

 seen genuine wild tea growing in its natural conditions), during my stay 

 at Kew, 1 had the good fortune of obtaining from him the permission to 

 publish the subséquent statement, wherein his personal view is briefly 

 summarized: 



') From the enutiieration in Ihe Appendix B. it will appear that Watt has referred several 

 spécimens more to var. lasiocalyx at Kew. It should especially be noted that hère 

 exists Griffith's spécimen from the Pringitt Garden alluded to by PiERRE(cf. p. 261), 

 and labelled lasiocalyx by Watt in MS. The identity of the latter form with 

 var. pubescens Pierre is herewith established. 



