NICOTIANA, the tobacco genus of plants, belonging to the order Solanatew, mostly herbs. The following are the better known species : Nicotiana angustifolia, Ruiz and Par., Chili.
N. Bonariensis, Lehm., Buenos Ayres.
N. fruticosa, L., the N. fruteacens, Cay., India.
N. glutinosa, L., of Peru. It is the N. militaris, .L.; Tabacus viridis, Mond ; Sairanthus glutinosus, G. Don.
N. latissima, Miller (N. macrophylla, Lehm.), yielding largely the Chinese, Orinoco, and Maryland tobacco. N. multivalvia, Lindley, Columbia river.
N. nana, —? Rocky Mountains.
N. paniculata, Linn., N. viridiflora, Car., Peru. N. Persica, Lind., Persia, Shiraz tobacco.
N. plumbaginifolia, Viv., the N. cerinthoides, Vittm, Rio Grande.
N. quadrivalvis, Farah., N. America, Missouri. N. repanda, Wilide., Cuba, lIavanuah tobacco. N. rotundifolia, Lindley, Swan river.
N. rustica, Linn., Europe, Asia, Africa, America, English tobacco, Godavery tobacco, Syrian tobacco. N. tabacum, Linn., the N. Havanensis, Lag., America.
Most of these yield tobacco leaves for smoking, and many of them are cultivated in the gardens of Europe. The name Nicotiana was given to these plants after Jean Nicot of Nimes, in Lan guedoc, who was an agent of the king of France at Portugal, and in 1560 procured the seeds of the tobacco from a Dutchman who had obtained them in Florida. Tobacco was the name used by the Caribbees for the pipe in which it was smoked, and this word was transferred by the Spaniards to the herb itself. Tobacco leaves when properly dried have a greenish-yellow colour, a strong, pleasant smell, and acrid taste; taken into the stomach by persons not habituated to its effects, violent vomiting, diarrhcea, and collapse are occasioned. N. quadrivalvis has capsules with four valves ; it grows near the Missouri river, and is there smoked by the natives. N. multi valvis has capsules with many valves ; it is cultivated by the Indians on the Columbia river for smoking. It is a fetid plant, and the calyx, the most fetid part, is selected by the Indians for smoking. N. nana, a small species, a native among the Rocky Mountains of North America, is smoked by the Indians. N. repanda, a native of Cuba, is said to furnish the tobacco for making the small cigars known as Queen's. The Macuba
tobacco, which grows in Martinique, is deemed the finest, and next to it in esteem is the Cuba tobacco. N. macrophylla, or Orinoco tobacco, is a herbaceous plant with ovate-acute leaves clasp ing the stem ; throat of corolla inflated, segments short - pointed ; the stem rising from 5 to 7 feet high. It is a native of America, and is frequently used for smoking; the milder Havannalt cigars are said to be made from it. The Havannah, Persian, Manilla, and Maryland tobaccos have been extensively introduced into the Peninsula of India. The British smoke more of the strongest tobacco than any nation in the world.
Nieotiana Persica, Shiraz tobacco, is a herbace ous plant, clothed with clammy down, with the leaves of the root oblong, those of the stem acuminate and sessile ; corolla salver - shaped, with a long tube, and rather unequal segments. This tobacco is milder than that produced by the N. tabaeum.
Nicotiana rustica, Linn.
Kakkar-tamaku, CHENAB. Bauerm-tabak, . GER. Tseang, . . . . CIIIN. Tabac-comaroso, . . Sr. Tabac-pausse, . . Fa.
This plant is grown in Europe, Asia, Africa; and America, and in India is highly valued. It is the English, Syrian, Salonica, Godavery, Turkish, Latakia, Tamaku, Kandahari tamaku, Kalkatti tamaku. It has a herbaceous square stem, with petiolate-ovate quite entire leaves ; tube of corolla cylindrical, longer than the calyx; segments of the limbs roundish, obtuse. It was the first species that was introduced into Britain for growth from America. It grows very well in that climate, and in some places is almost naturalized. From the extensive range of climate and difference of situation which this plant occupies, its characters suffer considerable change ; hence a 'number of varieties have been described. The yellow Chinese Tseang tobacco is cultivated in East Tibet and in West China. It resembles in flavour the finest Syrian tobacco, and is most agreeable when the smoke is passed through the nose. Under various names, it is cultivated at many places in British India.
Nicotiana tabacum, Linn. N. Havanensis, Lag. Bujjir bhang, . . A.RAB.Dhumra-patra, . SANEK. T'sha, I