258 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



characters and their different properties to the various modes of pre- 

 paration to which the leaf is often submitted, and doubtless also 

 to the age at which it is gathered. 1 The azotic, 2 aromatic, 3 and 

 astringent principles to which Tea owes its virtues appear to exist 

 only in very small proportions in the other plants of the family. 4 

 The species of the subgenus Camellia are, however, sometimes en- 

 dowed with a tolerably strong perfume, especially T. Sasanqua? 

 a species used in China to aromatize the tea. Its seeds yield an oil 

 contained abundantly in their fleshy embryo, which is employed in 

 the same way as that of T. drupifera* 1 and japonica. 1 This latter, 

 under the name of Camellia, is one of the most celebrated ornamental 

 plants. 8 Some other Ternstroemiaceae are astringent, especially the 

 American species of the genus Gordonia, G. pubescens? and Last anthus™ 

 (figs. 254, 255), the bark of which is rich in tannin, and is used in dye- 

 ing and in the preparation of skins. Visnea Mocanera 11 (fig. 264) has 



1 See Grundh., in Neu. Jarh. d. Phann., 

 xxviii. 201. — Guib., loe. cit., 629. Ac- 

 cording to the latter, the principal sorts of 

 green tea, heing those which are called in 

 commerce : Hyson, Young Hyson, Gunpowder, 

 and (Fr.) Chilian. " Chilian is only Hyson 

 artificially aromatized (with Camellia Sasan- 

 qua and Mogorium Sambac, Olea Jragrans) ; 

 Gunpowder tea is only green tea chopped and 

 rolled. Young Hyson (Fr. perli) only differs 

 from Hyson inasmuch as its leaves are smaller ; 

 which can he accounted for by its being gathered 

 at a less advanced age." As to the principal 

 black teas called Bohea, Souchong, Pekoe, which 

 are distinguished by their brown colour, and the 

 almost complete absence of a principle (tannic) 

 having affinity with oxygen, "they might be 

 thought to be the production of a distinct 

 species ; but it is possible that their difference 

 may result from the leaves having been treated 

 with water or steam, or submitted to the com- 

 mencement of fermentation. 



2 Which is theine, similar to caffeine 

 (C n H 10 Az 4 O 4 + H 2 O 2 ). M. Peligot points out 

 another azotic principle analogous to the caseine 

 of milk. 



3 It is a yellowish thick essence, with a very 

 strong odour, " stupefying." 



4 Eroteum thmoides Sw., (Prodr., 85) is em- 

 ployed in Jamaica as a substitute for tea, so that 

 experimental researches might be made in other 

 species of the same genus, and npon the 

 Japanese and Indian Eurya, which might be 

 cultivated in the south of Europe. 



5 T. oleosa Lour., Fl. Cocinch. (ed. 1790), 

 339.— DC, Prodr., i. 530, n. 3.— Rosenth., 

 op. cit., 739. — Camellia Sasanqua Thunb., Fl. 



Jap.,273, t. 30.— Sims., in Pot. Mag., t. 2080. 

 — Ker, in Pot. Peg., t. 567. — Statjnt., Ami. 

 Chin., ii. 466, ic.— DC, Prodr., i. 529, n. 2. — 

 Seem., in Trans. Linn. Soc, xxii. 343, 351. — 

 Hook., in Pot. Mag., t. 5152 (flor. flav ) — C. 

 oleifera Abel., Chin. Journ., 174, ic. — Seem., in 

 Ponplandia, vi. 278. — Sasanqua K^EMPF., 

 Amcen. Exot., 853. 



6 Camellia drupifera Lour., Fl. Cocliinch. 

 (ed. 1790), 411.— DC, Prodr., n. 5.— Seem., in 

 Trans. Linn. Soc, xxii. 344. — C. Kissi Wall., 

 in As. Pes., xiii. (ex DC, Prodr., n. 4). — 

 C. Keimia Ham. — C. Chamgota Ham., (ex 

 Chois.). — C. Mastersiana Grife. — C. symploci- 



folia Griff., Notul., t. 604, fig. 2 (ex Seem.). 

 — C. oleifera Wall., Cat.,n. 976 (nee Abel). — 

 Mesua bracteata Spbeng., Syst., hi. 127 (ex 

 Seem.) 



7 L., Spec, 982.— DC, Prodr., i. 529, n. 1. 



8 See Colla, Camelliogr., Torino (1843).— 

 Batjmann, Polweill. Cornell. (1829-31). — 

 Chandl., Cornell. Brit. (1825). — Chandl. & 

 Booth, TIL and Descr. Cornell. (1831). — 

 Beelese, Icon, du g. Cornell. (1839) ; Monogr. 

 dug. Cornell. (1810). — Walp., Ann., vii. 370. 



9 Pursh., Fl. Por.-Am., 451.— DC, Prodr., 

 i. 528, n. 5. — Franklinia americana Maksh, 

 Arbr., 48. — Lacathea florida Salisb., Par. 

 Lond., t. 56. 



10 L., Mantiss., 570.— Cav., Dm*., t. 161. — 

 DC, Prodr., n. 1. — Hypericum Lasianthus L. 

 (vulg. Loblolly Poy). 



11 L. fil., Suppl., 36. — Webb., Phyt. Canar., 

 t. 69, B.— Schacht, in Pot. Zeit. (1859), 368 ; 

 Zur Kennt. d. Visnea, Regensb. (1859), ic. 

 — Rosenth., op. cit., 737. It is especially 

 employed in the treatment of haemorrhoids. 



