TERNSTROMIACE^E. 149 



species, or in other words, whether the black and the green teas are the pro- 

 duct of the same or of different species. Linmeus, who established the genus, 

 distinguished two species, the T. bohea having six petals, and the T. viridis, 

 having nine; and Loureiro, who spent a long time in the East, recognised 

 three others, the T. oleosa, T. cantoniensis, and T. cochinchinensis, but many- 

 modern botanists are of opinion that all these are but varieties of one species, 

 which has therefore received the name of T. sinensis. 



Sir Wm. Hooker, (Bot. Mag. 3148,) is decidedly of opinion that there are 

 two distinct species, which maintain their peculiar characters even under long 

 cultivation, and this is corroborated by the observations of Mr. Royle 

 (Illustrations, 109); at the same time it is admitted although each of these 

 species furnishes a peculiar leaf, or in other words, that one affords the green 

 and the other the black tea of commerce, yet both can be made from the 

 same plant according to the mode of manufacture. Dr. Abel, (Narrative oj 

 a Journey^) says, " From persons conversant with the Chinese method, I 

 learnt that either of the two plants will afford the black or green tea of the 

 shops, but the broad, thin-leaved plant, ( T. viriclis,) is preferred in making 

 green tea." This statement is corroborated in a letter from Mr. Millett, of 

 Canton, written to and cited by Sir Wm. Hooker ; he states : " Of the plants 

 there are two kinds, of which one has a leaf of a much darker colour than 

 the other. This difference may partly arise from cultivation ; but it is to the 

 various modes of preparation that the green and black teas of the shops are 

 due. In proof of this, we sent home last year, green tea from the black tea 

 plant. You may therefore conclude, that though there are two plants, differ 

 ing as much in appearance and growth as any two varieties of the Camellia 

 japonica, each by proper management will produce black or green tea in 

 differently." This accords, in every particular, with the observations of Mr 

 Royle. 



With this testimony, and the remark of Dr. Lettsom, that after an exami 

 nation of many hundred flowers, both from the Bohea and green tea districts 

 he was convinced that their botanical characters were uniform, I am inclined 

 to think that but one species of the tea plant has been described, and that the 

 viriclis and bohea are merely varieties, more especially as we find far more 

 marked variations in all cultivated plants; thus not to mention others, many 

 of the acknowledged varieties of the genus most closely allied to the tea, 

 the Camellia, are far more-unlike each other than the two kinds of tea. And 

 it may be added that, although Loureiro described three additional species, he 

 states that he is inclined to believe that of the tea proper there is but one true 

 species ; and Ksempfer's figure of the Japanese tea plant, is that of the T. 

 bohea and not the viridis. T shall, therefore, consider them as constituting 

 but varieties of a single species. 



T. sinensis, Richard. — Characters those of genus. 



a. Viridis, Linn.— Leaves ellipto-Ianceolate, undulate ; flowers axillary, solitary. 



Linn. Spl. PI. 735; Woodville, Supp. 116; Hooker, Bot. Mag. 3148 ; 

 Lindley, Flor. Med. 120. 



Common Name. — Green tea. 



Foreign Names. — The vert, Fr.; The.verde, It. 



b. Bohea, Linn. — Leaves smaller, coriaceous, dark-green; flowers axillary, aggregated. 



Linn, Spl. PI. 735 ; Bot. Mag. 998. 



Common Name. — Black tea. 



Foreign Names. — The noir, Fr.; The nero, It. 



