nt, a native of South America, but
naturalized to our climate. It is a tall, not inelegant
plant, rising to the height of about six feet, with a
strong, round, villous, slightly viscid stem, furnished with
alternate leaves, which are sessile, or clasp the stems; and
are decurrent, lanceolate, entire; of a full green on the
upper surface, and pale on the under.

"In a vigorous plant, the lower leaves are about twenty
inches in length, and from three to five in breadth,
decreasing as they ascend. The inflorescence, or flowering
part of the stem, is terminal, loosely branching in that
form which botanists term a panicle, with long, linear
floral leaves or bractes at the origin of each division.

"The flowers, which bloom in July and August, are of a pale
pink or rose color: the calyx, or flower-cup, is
bell-shaped, obscurely pentangular, villous, slightly
viscid, and presenting at the margin five acute, erect
segments. The corolla is twice the length of the calyx,
viscid, tubular below, swelling above into an oblong cup,
and expanding at the lip into five somewhat plaited, pointed
segments; the seed vessel is an oblong or ovate capsule,
containing numerous reniform seeds, which are ripe in
September and October; and if not collected, are shed by the
capsule opening at the apex."

In Stevens and Liebault's Maison Rustique, or the Country Farm,
(London, 1606), is found the following curious account of the tobacco
plant:--

"This herbe resembleth in figure fashion, and qualities, the
great comfrey in such sort as that a man woulde deeme it to
be a kinde of great comfrey, rather than a yellow henbane,
as some have thought.

"It hath an upright stalke, not bending any way, thicke,
bearded or hairy, and slimy: the leaves are broad and long,
greene, drawing somewhat towards a yellow, bearded or
hoarrie, but smooth and slimie, having as it were talons,
but not either notched or cut in the edges, a great deale
bigger downward toward the root than above: while it is
young it is leaved, as it were lying upon the ground, but
rising to a stalke and growing further, it ceaseth to have
such a number of leaves below, and putteth forth branches
from half foot to half, and storeth itselfe, by that meanes
with leaves, and still riseth higher from