668 
EXTRACTS.—NATURAL HISTORY. 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
On the Tea 7’ree. —Two kinds are commonly cultivated in our green-houses, 
the one under the name of Thea viridis, or green tea; the other of T. Bohea, 
or black tea, which applications have been given them partly, as it would appear, 
on account of the relative colours of the foliage, and partly under an impres¬ 
sion, that the former produced the green tea of the shops, and the latter the 
black tea. But this idea seems to be founded on no good authority. 
The T. viridis is a large, strong-growing, almost hardy plant, with its branches 
spreading, its leaves from three to five inches long, veiy broadly lanceolated, 
pale green, singularly waved, the margin reflexed; the flowers are large, solitary, 
mostly confined to the upper axil: they appear in the autumn, six w'eeks or 
two months earlier than those of T. Bohea; whilst the latter is of small size, 
with remarkably erect, stiff branches, leaves not above half or two-thirds the 
size of the former, perfectly flat, more coriaceous, of a dark green, bearing in 
the axils of numerous leaves two or three flowers, which are smaller, and have 
a slight fragrance, and are in perfection during winter. It wall not endure our 
frosts. It is difficult to determine w'hich of these species is the one cultivated in 
China; whether both may not be employed in the production of the diflerent 
kinds of tea; or whether they may not be indiscriminately used : for the Chi¬ 
nese are exceedingly jealous over the processes employed in the preparation of 
teas, and the tea-country being at a great distance from the European factory* 
it is very doubtful if any scientific person has, from personal observation, been 
able to decide the question. Dr. Abel* satisfactorily notices the tw'o kinds of 
tea plant, and adds, “ from persons conversant with the Chinese method, 1 
learnt that either of the two plants will afford the black or green tea of the 
shops; but that the broad thin-leaved plant (our T. viridis) is preferred for 
making the green tea.” This statement is corroborated by a communication 
from C. Millett, Esq. of Canton, who holds a high official situation in the Com¬ 
pany’s factory there : “ The tea plant,” he says, in a letter, dated Canton, 12th 
of December, 1827, “is almost as scarce in this neighbourhood as it is in Eng¬ 
land. The tea-country is at a great distance from hence, and the teas brought 
to Canton are several months on their route by inland navigation. Of the 
plants there are two kinds, of which one has a leaf of a much darker green than 
the other. This difference may partly arise from cultivation; but it is to the 
various modes of preparation that the green and the black teas of shops arc 
due. In proof of this we sent home last year g7'een tea from the black tea-plant. 
You may, therefore, conclude that, though there are tw’o plants differing so 
much in appearance and growth as any two varieties of the Camellia Japonica, 
each, by proper management, will produce black or gree^i tea indifferently. The 
varieties of teas from the several provinces, arise from soil, culture, mode of 
preparation, and above all, from the part of the shrub whence the leaves are 
pulled. From the same individual plant there are three crops or gatherings 
annually; the first affords the fine teas, of which the Pouschong is the produce 
of the larger leaves of the young shoots. The extreme shoots, with the opening 
leaf buds, constitute the Pekoe. This is in England commonly supposed to be 
the flowers; but an examination after infusion wall clearly show its origin. The 
* Narrativ** of a Journey to the Interior of China, p. 321. 
