BOOK III. CHAP. Vlir. S07 



to me, as we were walking about our town of St. Jago de la Vega, 

 and obferving this plant growing fo plentifully, that it was the fame 

 as the tea plant of China ; that he had lived in that part of the 

 world many years, had feen large fields of it, and the manner of 

 cultivating it, and all the difference was, that the Chinefe plant 

 was larger, which he afcribed to their care, and culture of it; and 

 had no doubt, but the Jamaica plant, if it was let in rich ground, 

 and attended with equal care, would grow to a much greater fize, 

 than in its wild flate. 



P\uher Labat was led into the fame raiflake, who, finding the 

 capraria at Martinico, aflerted it to be the real tea-plant. 



The difference between them will appear better by comparifbiv.. 



Capraria. 



,^ Stalk. 



Rifes to the height of three or 

 four feet, woody, ramofe, covered 

 with a fmooth clay-coloured bark. 

 The branches difpofed in no re- 

 gular order, and very thick-fet 

 with leaves. 



Leaves, 



From one to two inches long, 

 half an inch broad in the wideil 

 part, tapering to a fharp point, of a 

 deep-green colour, fmooth, thin, 

 ferrated at the edges, no foot- 

 ftalks, or at mofl very fhort. 



Flowers. 

 Come out between the leaves 

 and ftalk, (landing on a fhort foot- 

 ftalk, very fmall, white, feeming 

 to confift of five petals, but are 

 only deeply divided into five parts, 

 capfule green. 



Chinefe Tea-plant.. 

 Stalk. 

 Rifes to the heipht of five or fix 

 feet, woody, ramoic, covered with 

 an afh-coloured bark, reddifli to- 

 wards the top. The branches al- 

 ternate, in no rco;ular order. 



Leaves. 



From two i to three inches 

 long, and near one in breadth in 

 the wideft part, elliptical, obtufe 

 at the extremity, and not (harp, as 

 Kainfer llippofes ;. of a deep-green 

 colour, fmooth, thin, gloffy, fer- 

 rated, the footftalks very Ihort, 

 Floijoers. 



Come out between the leaves 

 and flalk, (landino; on a fhort foot- 

 ffalk, large, white, confifling of 

 fix petals, or varying in number ; 

 but when they conhft of fix, two 

 are lefs and exterior, greenifli, in- 

 cloiing the flower before it is fully 



blown. 



