ih, 
, 
I 
1808.] 
disused in China, as well as in Cochi- 
china. 
QObservationsupon Vea, by Desfuntuines. 
: Annales du Muséum 1 ational.—Toin, 
lv. page 20. 
Hill, Linneens, and others, have thought 
there were two distinct species of te ay 
viz. the Thea Bohea, and the Thea viridis, 
the corolla of the one having six, the 
other nine petals; to which character 
Linnzus added, that of the leaves of the 
first being longer than those of the 
ether. But according to the observa- 
tions of Lettsom, published in London in 
1799, the number of petals is, in both 
sorts, subject to vary from three to nine. 
Thus the principal distinguishing cha- 
racter, adopted by Hill ‘and Linnaeus, 
being inadmissible, and Lettsom, not 
being abie to discover any other, regards 
very properly the green “and bohea teas 
as mere varieties, owing to the influence 
of the sun or climate. ‘Thuuberg, in his 
Flora Japonica, admits only one species 
of tea; considering the green As a variety 
of the bohea ; neither does Ka: npfer 
allow of more than one, of which, as of 
all other cultivated plauts, there are 
several varieties. The observations I 
have had an opportunity-of making upon 
some individuals cultivated in the garden 
of the Museum, two of which flowered 
abundantly last year, have served to con- 
vince me of the truth of those of Kempfer, 
Thunberg, and Lettsom.* 
The tea-tree is a branched ever-green 
shrud, growmg to the height of five or six 
feet, according to Kampfer and Thun- 
berg; though other travellers assure us, 
that it sometimes reaches to thirty feet. 
_ Leaves alternate, hard, oblong-ovate, 
ar elliptical, of rather a shining green, 
entire at the base, elsewhere serrate, 
footstalk short, half-rounded.- ‘The buds 
are pointed and accompanied with a 
‘scale, which falls off when the bud is de- 
veloped. 
The flowers are either solitary or more 
rarely in pairs, on short, thickish pedun- 
cles, in the axils of the leaves. The 
* Mr.R, A. Salisbury thinks there are at 
Jeast two species. He says, ** the flowers 
of the small-leaved sort are rather fragrant, 
fot smelling unpleas: antly, like the other; and 
oor ht as well as consistence of its 
Sisics: differ; it comes from Japan, but the 
_ broad-leaved plant was sent from China to 
Deeieicean » But Dr. Sims, in the Botanical 
Magazine, thinks there i§ no reason whatever 
to consider the green and bohea teas, as dif- 
ferent species. —T. 
Observations on Tea. 
415 
calyx is small, persistent, and divided 
into five obtuses eyments, about one inch 
in diameter ; the corolia* has most usually 
six petals, white, rounded, and patent; 
the two outermost smaller and unequal. 
The stamina are nuimerous, more than 
two hundred, shorter than the corolla, 
and inserted below the ovary: each 
anther has two ceils. 
The ovary is obtuse-triangular, termi- 
nating in a style divided into three fili- 
form stigmas. 
The capsule is three-celled; cells 
round, one-seeded, united at the base 
and opening lengthwise on one side 
onlyt. ; 
‘The seeds are globular, angular on the 
inner side, the size of a hazel-nut, covered 
with afine shining skin, somewhat hard, 
of a chesnut colour. The kernel is oily,, 
nauseously bitter, aud excites a flow of 
saliva, 
The tea often flowers in Europe, but 
rarely produces seed. It belongs to 
Polyandria Monogynia of Linneus; and 
Jussieu has arranged it in the family of 
Aurantia, next to Camellia. 
It is cultivated in China from Canton 
to Pekin, at which latter place, according 
to the missionaries, the winter is more 
severe than at Paris, Tt wou!d, therefore, 
be very possible to rear and propagate 
this valuable plant in France, if a suth- 
cientnumber could be procured to try it 
in different soils and climates. Itis an 
object worthy the attention of the govern- 
meat; for the consumption of tea is very 
great, and the commerce in this article 
amounts every year to very considerable 
sums, for w hich Europe lays itself under 
contribution to China. 
The seeds imported from China, are 
so damaged by the voyage, that scarcely 
* Mr. Salisbury,says, the corolla is 1- pe- 
talled; 6 9-cleft, but this does not seem to 
be correct ; for alehionghi, as Dr. Sims observes, 
the petals and stamens fa}l off united, yet the 
same takes place in all the natural order of 
calumnifere, which Linnzus hituself observes 
are not thereiore monopetalous, the petals 
only adhering together by means of the fila- 
ments.—T. . 
+ According to Mr. Salisbury, the capsule 
is many-seeded, but few come to perfece 
tion.—T, 
} Linneus, in his Fragzienta Ordinum Na- 
turalium, arranges Thea under his Columni- 
fer@, in a distinct section, containing besides 
Thea, Camellia, Ste wartii, Gordouia, Tilia and 
Kiggelaria. Most ofthese plants have, deubt- 
less, a considerable affinity, and approach 
nearer tothe Cilumnifera, the Malvacee of 
Jussieu, than to the 4urartia.T. 
one 
