TEA. 



389 



or whether the diflferent soi-ts of leaves are only 

 from varieties of the same species. 



The tea plant is a small evergreen shrub, much 

 branched, and covered with a rough, dark, gray 

 bark. The leaves and blossoms are not unlike 

 the common hawthorn. The leaves are ellip- 

 tical or lanceolate, entire, alternate, obtusely ser- 

 rated, veined, and placed on short footstalks. 

 The calyx is small, smooth, persistent, and di- 

 vided into five obtuse segments. The flowers 

 are white, often two or three together on separate 

 peduncles, and placed at the axilla of the leaves. 

 The coroUa, in one sort, fig. a, has five petals; 

 in another, fig. h, the petals are more numerous. 



The filaments are very numerous, short, and 

 inserted at the base of the corolla. The anthers 

 are large and yellow, the germen roundish, or 

 triangular. The style trifid, the capsule three- 

 celled, containing three oblong brown seeds. 



Linnseus describes two distinct species 'of the 

 tea plant, founding the distinction on the num- 

 bers of the petals. Others have also observed 

 that the leaves of tea plants differ considerably 

 in shape and colour. De Loureird has described 

 three species, the cochin cMnensis, cantonensis, and 

 oleosa. The first is a native of Cochin China, 

 where it is extensively cultivated, and used as a 

 beverage, and medicinally; the second is t\\esiab 

 chong chd of the Chinese, or souchong of the 

 Europeans; the third grows in the neighbourhood 

 of Canton, where an oil obtained from its seed 

 is used for many domestic purposes. Both the 

 latter are brown, but more fragrant than the 

 common green tea, which grows in the province 

 of To-Kien. Notwithstanding that this author 

 has described the three species of tea as above, 

 he says, that on examining the dried flowers of 

 the green tea brought from the province of Kiang 

 Si, he observed a great diversity in the number 

 of the parts of the calyx and corolla; hence, he 

 concludes, that all the various teas are derived 

 from the same botanical species, and that the 

 different flavour and appearance of teas depend 

 upon the nature of the soil, the culture, and the 

 method of preparing the leaves. " This opinion," 

 says Dr Woodville,* "which is founded on the 

 sportive tendency of the flowers of the tea plant, 

 clearly shows the fallacy of distinguishing the 

 bohea and green tea trees by the number of 

 their petals, which, even in this country, have 

 been found to vary from three to nine; yet this 

 circumstance by no means determines the botan- 

 ical identity of the green and bohea teas; and 

 while the present narrow and jealous policy-of 

 the Chinese continues, many interesting particu- 

 lars respecting the natural history of tea must 

 still remain unknown to Europeans. 



Dr Abel could not satisfy himself whether 

 there were two species or one; but is rather in- 



* Medical Botany. 



clined to believe there are two, the bohea, fig. a, 

 and sasanqiia, b. Mr Main says that all the dif- 

 ferent sorts of tea are produced from the same 

 kind or variety of the plant. AH writers on the 

 subject are agreed that the leaves of the true tea 

 are adulterated by those of certain other plants. 

 According to Mr Main, small proportions of leaves 

 of other plants are sometimes added, but care is 

 taken that it be not detected, as this is consid- 

 ered a deterioration. These are the leaves of the 

 fragrant olive, (olea fragrans;) and sometimes 

 those of the san-cha-yu, (camelia sasanqua). 



In the sort called pekoe, small silvery leaves 

 may be observed, which appear to be those of 

 the tokune, (azalea Indica) all perfectly harm- 

 less. The Chinese, however, deny that any of 

 the latter leaves are ever intennixed. Modem 

 botanists have abolished the genus tliea, and 

 placed it under the camelia genus. It is curious 

 that without any knowledge of the sexual sys- 

 tem, the Chinese have done the same: cha or tcha 

 is their name of tea, and tcha fan tea flower, that 

 of camelia. 



Perhaps the bohea may be taken as the onlj 

 species, and the viridis, and others, as varieties. 

 It is indeed doubtful, says Loudon, whether 

 even the Chinese themselves know the original 

 species, because the best varieties obtained from 

 long experience and cultivation, are called by 

 them the true white; the wild sort found on the 

 mountains of Ho-nan, is called tchaw tcha, or 

 bastard tea. 



The tea plant is indigenous to China and Japan. 

 The tea districts of China extend from the 

 twenty-seventh to the thii-ty-first degi-ee of north 

 latitude. According to the missionaries, it thrives 

 in the more northern provinces; and from Kamp- 

 fer it appears to be cultivated in Japan, as far 

 north as latitude 45°. It seems, according to Dr 

 Abel's observation, to succeed best on the sides 

 of mountains, where there can be but little ac- 

 cumulation of vegetable mould. The soils from 

 which he collected the best specimens consisted 

 chiefly of sandstone, schistus, or granite. The 

 plants are raised from seeds, which are deposited 

 in rows four or five feet apart. 



The plant will grow in either low or elevated 

 situations, but always thrives best and furnishes 

 leaves of the finest quality when produced in 

 light stony ground. The leaves are gathered 

 from one to four times during the year, accord- 

 ing to the age of the tree. Most commonly there 

 are three periods of gathering; the first com- 

 mences about the middle of April; the second 

 at Midsummer; and the last is accomplished dur- 

 ing August and September. The leaves that are 

 earliest gathered are of the most delicate colour 

 and most aromatic flavour, with the least portion 

 of either fibre or bitterness. Leaves of the second 

 gathering are of a duU green colour, and have 

 less valuable qualities than the former; while 



