674 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
[March 2, 1891. 
TEA AND COFFEE SUBSTITUTES. 
So loi'g ago as 1883, I cootributed to the Gardeners' 
Chronicle a few uotes under the head (f ‘‘Tea aud 
its Substitutes,"’ These notes appeared on pp. 801 — 
8 iu the number of Juue 23, vol. xix., uew seiie^, aud 
ou pp. 765 — C iu thu number for D cembei 15, vol. 
XX., uew senes. "\Yliat was there stated as to the 
interest of the subject might be lepeated here, not- 
withstanding that Seven years have passed since tl;ose 
notes were written, during which time many more 
plants have come to my notice having similar u^es 
in different parts of the world. 
Many changes have taken place in the growth, culti- 
vation, and trade cf tea proper during the seven years 
that have elapsed, and other countries have entered the 
marke as tea producers since that ptriod. the demand 
for the dried leaves of Camellia Iheifera incres.sing witli 
the supply. The return of Otiristmas, when a i extra 
good cup of tea is often included amongst the items of 
good cheer, seems an appropriate time to return to 
this subject, not that we think any of those plant; to 
be enumerated would commend themselv,.s for actual 
use amongst the bulk of our readers, bub a record of 
them will indicate how varied are the sources from 
whence a refreshing — or, in some cases it may be a 
medicinal — beverage is obtained. 
Twenty-four distinct plants were describeil in the 
former notes, and they were arranged under their res 
pective natural crder.s. The same ariaugeraent is 
continued iu the following notes, and the numbering 
taken up from thence. 
Bebbekice.-e '25. CaulojihyUum thalictroides, Miohx. 
— A perennial I’.erbaoeous plant, with a tuberous root, 
aud stems about 1 foot. It is found iu mountainous 
shady woods in South Carolina, where it is known 
as Blue Cohosh. The plant also occurs in J-.ip>n aud 
Maiidsohuria. The seeds, when roa.sted, are said to 
form an excellent substitute for coffee, for which pur- 
pose they are u-ed by the natives in North America. 
FRANKENiACEiE. 26. Franlccnia {Bentsoaia portu- 
lacifolia, Roxb.). — This is one of the few indigenous 
plants iu the Island of Sr. Helena, and the genus was 
named in honour of Beatson, who wrote an account of 
St. Helens. It is fuuud ou rocks by the sea ou the 
south side of the i-i'and. The flowers aud flower. stalks, 
when simply dried, are of a brownish colour, and are 
known as St. Helena, tpa. There is a sample of this 
tea in the Kew Museum which was gathered in 1863, 
and still possesses a strong aroma similar to Chinese 
tea. 
GebaN[ACKJ3. 27. Geranium incanum, L. — A plant 
with trailing stems. Native of the Cape of Good Hope. 
In Natal the leaves are used as tea under the name 
of Natal Wild Tea. There is a sample in the Kew 
Museum, wbich was obtained from the Natal Court cf 
the Colonial aud Indian Exhibition of 1886, and it pos- 
sesses a smell not very dissimilar to that of ordinary 
tea. There is a sample of this in the Kew Mu-eum. 
28. Monsonia ovata, Cav.— An heibaoaoua plant of 
the Cape of Good Hope, whore it is knrwn under the 
name of Keita by the Hottentots. The roots and herbs 
of the plaut are very astringent, and are used at t!io 
Cape in dysentery ; an infusion or tea is made from 
them, u-,ei among the Fiugoes to promote .abortion. 
Legu.mixos.k 29. Sehania occidmitalis, P ns . — In tha 
Kew collection is a sample of the long i-leuiler p ds 
of the above- name! plant, gathered on tlie banks 
of the River Jlagdalona, and labelled “ Wild Coffee, 
Cafd de Brn-ci or Chiliuchile.” 
30. Jbru.i precatorias, L. — This well-known jdant, 
which is found in marly all tropical countries, and 
whose seeds are ro generally known as crab’s eyes, 
appears at one tiino to have bad a reputation as a tea 
p ant, for hnnan iu his /fortiis Jamaicensis, quoting 
from lleechara, ssys; — “ I know a genUeiiian in .latnaica 
that made a lea of the leave", and drank of it many 
ycais, wbicli lio said keiit him in good health.” 
31. Castia mimosotile.^, B.— 'i’hia ))!ant is referred 
to in a list of iconoioic vegctMlile producl.s exhibited 
in the Capt; of Good Hojie eollection of the Colonial 
and linlian Kxhiljtiw), lo8(), as hi iiig used at the Cajm 
as a hubslitiUe for China tea, under the naino of 
B ushman’s or Hottentot tea. 
32 Acacia 7nyriifulia, Vi i\d. — A tall, glabrous shrub 
of New Souih Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and South 
and West Ausu-alia. The leaves are said to be some- 
times u' ed as tea. 
Amongse other leguminous p’ants, reference may be 
made to Psoralea grandulosa, wliich, however, was 
referred to in our notes in Lt.Ceinbsr, 1883. In ad- 
dition to what is there stated, it may be said that m 
the Mauritius the plant has not only a medicinal re- 
putation, but is also usetl as a snbsiituto for Tea. It 
ajipears, lurther, to have been at one time an article 
of import to this country, judging from a note by 
T'weedic in the Kew Herbaiium, where it is taid that 
the plaut was “good for disoroiers ol the stomach,” 
aud that “ large quau ities were carried to England 
and sold as Radical Tea in the Radical Time.--.” 
Two otii .r legumiLous plants hai G recently been used 
in Prance in the coujpotiuou o! meoicinal teas, under 
tile names of “The des Alpes Maritime.-,” and '* Th6 
Pui’gatif oes Apeiiuius.” tine firat is a composition of 
broken leaves of a plaut whicli cannot be iueuliffed, 
a few Senna leave.-, and a Iree use of the flowers 
of Authyll s vulnei'aria, aud perhaps Colubea ar- 
boieeceus; the second contains a larger proportion of 
iS mii leaves, flowers of Aulhyllis vulueraria, and 
florets of Centaurea cyauus. Whether these flowers 
possess any' direct pruperlits iu themselves, or are 
put ill to improve tha appearance of the so-oalle<l tea, 
or increase its bulk, is a question not easy to solve. 
Rosaceas. 33. Accena sunyaisorbte, Valet. — A native 
of Australia, and found in all the Colonies except 
■\Vesccru Australia. Maiden, iu his Useful Xative Plants 
of jiu.satrj.lia, says: — ‘‘The leaves oi this piant have 
been used as a substitute lor iia, au..i have been highly 
spoken of by some for tilts purpose.” 
34. Rosa canina, L. (Dog-rose;. — Of this wellknown 
plaut, .Sowerhy says, iii his Usef ul Plants of Great 
Britain, that the leaves h.t.ve been used &s asulsiitute 
for tea. 
SAXiFltAGEiE. 35. Saxifraija crassifolia. — Under the 
name of Mougodau tea, the l-.avts of ills plant are 
saut to be used by I he pe pie of isiberia. 
Myetace.®. 36. Uerticordia penniyera,'Ei\jd\. — Under 
the name ol native Tea, the flowers and leaves of this 
plant were shown in the West Australian Court of 
the Colonial and Indian Exhibition iu 1 86, with a 
uo.b to the effect that the taste not uniiko that of 
ordinary te i, aud that the settlers in the earlier 
days ot the colony used it as a tordc and blood purifier. 
There is a sample of this in the Kew Museum, which 
has a faint smell of Chinese tea. 
37. Kunzia MuReri, Beuth. — The dried leaves of 
this plant, wbich have a s-mdar smell to tha lastnamed, 
were likewise shown in the West Australian collection 
ill lgS6, where they were simply described as native 
Tea, possessing the eame medicinal properties as the 
Vei'ticurdia. 
Melastojiaceje. 33. Vremanium theezans, D. C. — 
Thi- geuus is now placed by the auihors of the 
Genera Planiarum under Mic.n’a, It is a tree from 
12 to 20 feet high, a native of damp places about 
Popayai), where the leaves aie iiifueed and drank 
iu placa of tea by the iuhaLi aut.s. Boupland tays : 
“Vv'e have often drunk with pkasure the infusion 
ot the Jjlela.-t.iina ihetzans. It has the colour of 
tea, aud is much le.ss astringent, but more aromatic; 
many persons would doubt ess prefer the drink to tee, 
and I think it will be fouud as uteful iu most cases.” 
ToKNEitACEiE. 39. Triacis inicrophyUa, Gnseb., which 
is now pus into the genu.s Turners, is said to be 
u<ed iu Hayti as a tea plant, under the name of 
The de Lasca hoLas. A small sample of this tea is 
ooiitaiued in th: Kew^Musi util.— .J . R. Jacksox, Kew. 
— ( iurdeners’ Chronicle. 
A Substitute fok Quinine has been found in the 
extract from tlie root of a shrub oalltd Pambutano. 
According to the Medical Press and ircular, the 
aqueous decoction of this root has proved a remedy 
in cases of malarial fever where quinine failed. The 
active proportios of the root aru obtained by ita 
maoerution in alcohol at COdeg. Fahr, The alkaloid 
lias not yet been isolated,— Cfioiie. 
