31 
BOHEA TEA. 
foi-tASDsiA 
THEA BOHEA. 
E have qucftion’d whether the Green and BoheaTea were, or were not the 
duce of the fame Shrub : moft thought they were ; their difference beii 
'ig at- 
Various 
w 
tributed only to the Bate of growth wherein the Leaves were gather’d ; and the 
methods of curing them. I believe it is otherwife. Certainly I have received amo 
China Plants, two fpecimens under the name of Tea, which differ obvioully in Leaf 
Flower. That which I figure here, has fhorter and darker Leaves, and in each Flowe fi 
Petals : this, from the colour of the Leaf, I think to be the Bohea. The other has Ion 
and |ialer Leaves, and in every Flower nine Petals ; that I fuppofe to be the Green 
thcr this be the cafe, mull be found by more experience : and if they really be the prod 
of two diftin<a Shrubs, we are yet to learn whether the difference be as fpecies, or o I 
varieties. One thing, befide the difference of form and colour of the Leaf, feem’d in th^ 
courfe of thefe experiments, to fhesv that they were really the two kinds I have conjeaur’d^ 
The water in which this Specimen was macerated, had the colour and the tafte of genuin ' 
Bohea Tea ; and that which was us’d for the other, had as palpably the proper afpea'of 
Green Tea ; only m.ade very ftrong; and perhaps, colour'd a little from the Bark. ° 
Befide the greater diftinaions, there was fomething in the colour of the Anthers or 
Buttons. They were orange-colour’d in the one, and of a pale yellow in the other. I 
fpcak of fuch as were burft, for there were fome unripe ones which were white. 
The Clafs to which this and the other belong, is very evident. They have a vaft mul- 
titude of Filaments, and thefe rife from the Receptacle : therefore the Shrub is of the Po- 
lyandrous tribe. 
The Cup IS fm.all; the Filaments are innumerable: the Secd-veffel, when perfea con- 
fifts of three parts, in each of which is a fingle Seed. VVe have lamented often, that the 
Seeds do not come m-er perfea, and found enough to grow when planted here, as many 
other of the China feeds freely do ; and it has been fuppos’d, the people of that country, 
who are celebrated for their cunning, took fome meafures to prevent this before they fuf- 
fered the Seeds to be exported. But it is all eafily refolv’d into the common Bate of nature. 
Many feeds, with us will not grow, if they be not fown foon after ripenefs : even the 
Acorn, which one would think, at firB fight, durable ; lofes its power of vegetation in a 
very moderate time. The faa is this : thofe feeds which are mofl fubjea to a fermenta- 
tion in their own fubBance, fooneB lofe the power of growth ; and thk is one of them. 
cMoc ^ 'he purpofe ; and if that 
Tal^ad Ten , ^ °°hleman, whofe regard to Botany I 
JTk LSd ^ -ethol which will,' I 
Duke of NoaTHUMD'TAtT ^ea-tree has flowered with the 
Tlica floribus bcJcapculis. 
