SPECIES AND VAKIETIES OF TOBACCO 



Virginian 

 Bread-loaf. 



NICOTIANA 



RUSTICA 



Species and Varieties 



Var. Virglnica, Comes, I.e. tt. i., v. ; also Delia Razze, etc., 121-5 ; Anastasia, 

 I.e. 106-16. This, Comes thinks, came originally from the region of the Orinoco 

 and was introduced by the English colonists into Virginia, where, under cultiva- 

 tion, it gave origin to some of the most highly valued forms of tobacco usually 

 grouped under pale and dark-coloured leaf. Among this may be mentioned Big 

 Orinoco, or Virginia Broad-leaf, Yellow Orinoco, Blue Pryor, Yellow Mammoth 

 Golden-leaf, etc. 



Var. brasiliensis, Comes, I.e. tt. i., vi. ; also Delia Razze, etc., 79-119 ; Anastasia, 

 I.e. 101-5. This is the Broad-leaved Tobacco, known in Brazil by the name petum 

 or petun. A native of Brazil, Guinea, Venezuela and Bolivia. According to Comes 

 was introduced into France by Thevet in 1556, and thence to Europe generally. 

 Is the stock from which the so-called indigenous tobacco of Europe has been de- 

 rived, and is valued on account of the thickness of the leaf rendering it suitable 

 for the manufacture of snuff. The following special races may be mentioned : 

 Brazil, Bahia, Paraguay, Pernambuco, Florida, Maryland, Ohio, etc. 



Var. havanensis, Comes, I.e. tt. i., vii. ; also Delia Razze,, etc., 153-97 ; 

 Anastasia, I.e. 97-105. Indigenous to the valleys of Mexico. It was conveyed 

 thence by the Spaniards to the island of Cuba, is the plant most highly valued as 

 Havana tobacco, and known by many trade names such as Havana Seed-leaf, 

 Cuban Seed-leaf, etc. This plant is accordingly most largely selected for the 

 improvement of other stocks, and it would appear to be the chief source of the 

 so-called Java and Sumatra tobaccoes. The following are some of the chief 

 races mentioned by Comes : Seed-leaf, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Mary- 

 land, Wilson's Hybrid, Zimmer's Spanish, Mexican, Manilla, Deli-Tabak, etc. [Gf. 

 Shamel, Imp. Tab. by Breeding and Selection, etc., in U.S. Yearbook, 1904, 435- 

 52 ; 1906, 387-404.] 



Var. macrophylla, Schranh. ; Comes, I.e. tt. i., viii. ; also Delia Razze, etc., 199- 

 22; N. Tabacum, var. purpurea, Anastasia, I.e. 1906, 43-96. A native of Mexico 

 and introduced into may countries India, Persia, Egypt, Porto Rico, Peru, etc. 

 This appears to yield much of the Maryland tobaccoes of commerce. The 

 flowers are usually of a deep purple colour and the leaves exceptionally large. 

 The following are some of the special races mentioned by Comes : Cuban, 

 Varinas, Venezuela, Makala, Salomiki, Argos, etc. 



Brazilian. 



Havana and 

 Manilla. 



Bengal. 



D.E.P., 

 v., 352. 



Turkish. 



Snuff 

 Tobacco. 



N. rustica, Linn. ; Heuze, Les PL Indust., 1895, iv., 19 ; Sadebeck, 

 I.e. 220 ; Wiesner, I.e. 614. This is the Nicotiana minor of some of the 

 older authors, and is at once distinguished by its being a smaller plant 

 with almost orbicular-stalked, leathery leaves and pale-greenish white 

 flowers, with the limb of corolla imperfectly developed. It is commonly 

 known as Turkish or East Indian Tobacco. Comes regards it as a native 

 of Mexico and Texas. In the former it is known as picietl or pycietl, and 

 he is of opinion that this was the plant introduced into France by Jean 

 Nicot (after whom the genus was subsequently named). It was cultivated 

 in America before the arrival of Columbus. Comes places under it the 

 following varieties : 



Var. texana, Comes, I.e. tt. ii., ix. A native of Mexico and the plant 

 seen by Nicot under cultivation in Portugal in 1560, the seed of which was sent 

 to Queen Catherine of Medicis. 



Var. jamaicensis, Comes, I.e. tt. ii., x. A form met with under cultiva- 

 tion in Jamaica, Guatemala and Mexico, but doubtfully distinct from the pre- 

 ceding. 



Var. brasilia, Schrank. / Comes, I.e. tt. ii., xi. Habitat, Brazil. This 

 is the tobacco which the Brazilians call fumo-crespo. It is often used in the 

 manufacture of snuff. 



Var. asiatica, Schranh, ; Comes, I.e. tt. ii., xii. This is the so-called 

 Syrian tobacco, but is also grown in Arabia, Persia and Abyssinia. It came, 

 however, from America and is sometimes designated as the common or English 

 tobacco, and when made into snuff is held to be superior to most other grades, 

 though in many trade samples it has been flavoured with aromatic herbs. 



Var. humllis, Schranh. ; Comes, I.e. tt. ii., xiii. Extensively cultivated 

 for the manufacture of snuff, and in Germany is regarded as superior to the 

 product of var, Brasilia. 



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