DESCRIPTION OF THE LEAVES. 93 
the species of the plant. They have various forms, ovate, 
lanceolate, and pointed. Leaves of a lanceolate form are the 
largest, and the shape of those found on most varieties of the 
American plant. The color of the leaves when growing, as 
well as after curing and sweating, varies, and is frequently 
caused by the condition of the soil. The color while grow- 
ing may be either a light or dark green, which changes to a 
yellowish cast as the plant matures and ripens. The ground 
leaves are of a lighter color and ripen earlier than the rest— 
sometimes turning yellow, and during damp weather rotting 
and dropping from the stalk. Some varieties of the plant, 
like Latakia, bear small but thick leaves, which after cutting 
are very thin and fine in texture ; while others, like Connecti- 
cut seed leaf and Havana, bear leaves of a medium thickness, 
which are also fine and silky after curing. But while the 
color of the plant when growing is either a light or dark 
green, it rapidly changes during curing, and especially after 
passing through the sweat, changing to a light or dark cinna- 
mon like Connecticut seed leaf, black like Holland and 
Perique tobacco, bright yellow of the finest shade of Virginia 
and Carolina leaf, brown like Sumatra, or dark red like that 
known by the name of “ Boshibaghli,” grown in Asia Minor. 
The leaves are covered with glandular hairs containing a 
glutinous substance of an unpleasant odor, which characterizes 
all varieties as well as nearly all parts of the plant. 
_ The leaves of all varieties of tobacco grow the entire 
length of the stem and clasp the stalk, excepting those of 
Syrian, which are attached by a long stem. The size of the 
leaves, as well as the entire plant, is now much larger than 
when first discovered. One of the early voyagers describes 
the plant as short and bearing leaves of about the size and 
shape of the walnut. In many varieties the leaves grow in a 
semi-circular form while in others they grow almost straight 
and still others growing erect presenting a singular appear- 
ance. The stem or mid-rib running through the leaf is large 
and fibrous and its numerous smaller veins proportionally 
larger which on curing become smaller and particularly in 
