OF ORNAMENTAL EXOTIC PLANTS. 
47 
its qualities is held in remembrance by a rude figure in Chinese and Japanese drawings, of an old man standing 
upon water with a reed under his feet, and one of his eye-brows sprouting out into a Tea leaf.” Upwards of a 
million square miles in China are occupied in the cultivation of the Tea Plant, which is there never suffered to 
attain any great height, the main stem being cut down every year to force the plant to send up new shoots, as the 
young leaves are more tender and have a finer flavour than the old ones. 
Numerous attempts were made to introduce the Tea Plant before it was actually obtained, and amongst others, 
Archibald Duke of Argyle, who had a very fine collection of plants at his seat, at Whitton, near London, sent a 
collector to China with the express purpose of bringing home the Tea. The collector obtained a plant, but, 
unfortunately, the plant died during the voyage ; and the collector having obtained, while in China, a specimen of 
the Lycium Chinense, also for the Duke, put the label of the Tea plant to it. The Duke of Argyle was at first 
deceived, but showing the plant to his friends, it was discovered to be a species of Injcimn, and was supposed to be 
a variety of Lycium barbamm, which plant was already in the country. The Chinese Lycium was, in consequence 
of this circumstance, called the Duke of Argyle ’s Tea Tree ; but as it was a weak feeble-growing plant, it was 
soon lost, and the name was transferred to Lycium barbarum, which still bears it, and which is even now supposed 
by some persons to be the true Tea Plant. Linnaeus, however, had at last the honour of introducing this 
interestmg plant alive to Europe ; but not till he had experienced many disappointments, the following account of 
which is extracted from the “ Botanical Magazine : ” — “ The seeds would never bear the voyage, for, like all oily 
seeds, they soon became rancid, and in that state would not vegetate. Finding this, Linnaeus determined to 
import a plant, and his pupil, Osbeck, brought one as far as the Cape of Good Hope, where it was washed over- 
board in a storm. After this Lagerstroem conveyed two shrubs to Upsal, supposing them to be the true Tea, but 
they turned out to be a species of Camellia, which the Chinese called by the same name as the Tea. Some 
months afterwards, a Tea plant ‘ reached the harbour of Gottenburg, in good health, but the evening before 
landing, the captain set the plant on the table of his cabin, where it was eaten by rats. At length, Linnaeus 
advised Captain Ekeberg to sow the fresh seeds in pots of earth at the moment of his departure from China, so 
that they might vegetate after passing the line ; and the growing plants were thus brought in safety to Gottenburg, 
the 3rd of October, 1763, and transported to the Botanic Garden of Upsal.’ ” Itwas not introduced into England 
till the year 1768. The green Tea is very nearly hardy in the neighbourhood of London, and if protected against 
severe frost, it will live in the open air, forming a handsome shrub from eight to ten feet high, with long, rather 
slender, branches, light green leaves, and large white fragrant flowers, which are produced in September and 
October. 
2.— THEA BOHBA Lin. THE BOHEA OR BLACK TEA. 
Synonymes. — T. chinensis var. Bohea Sims ; T. Bohea var. stricta Ait. ; T. sinensis Black. ; T. fiutex Barth. 
Engravings. — Bot. Mag., t. 998; and Lodd. Bot. Cat., t. 226. 
Specific Character. — Leaves elliptic, oblong, obtuse, crenated. Flowers of five sepals and five petals, axillary. 
Description, &c. — This species of Tea is very distinct from T. viridis. The plant is much smaller, and more 
compact, and the branches are more rigid. The leaves are also of a much darker green, and more coriaceous in 
their textoe ; and the flowers are smaller. Notwithstanding, however, these very distinct marks of difference, 
some botanists still consider them to be only varieties of the same species. The black Tea is much more tender 
than the green, and requires either to be grown in a conservatory, or to be cai’efully protected during winter. 
