Scientific tobacco designations and how to figure out what it really is

[NRustica]

I was traipsing around seed vault on the net the other day and I noticed their scientific names for different tobaccos. You couldn't necessarily tell if they were burly, virginia, oriental, at least I couldn't by their scientific names. I could guess from their popular names and where they were from. So I'm going to post the scientific names and you tell me what the plant in laymen terms is as far as classification.

Nicotiana tabacum L. var. tabacum
Nicotiana tabacum L. var. macrophylla
Nicotiana tabacum L. var. pallescens
Nicotiana tabacum L. var. lingua
Nicotiana tabacum L. var. undulata
Nicotiana tabacum L. var. havanensis
Nicotiana tabacum L. var. serotina
Nicotiana tabacum L. var. alipes
Nicotiana tabacum L. var. sagittata

I've to cross check the GRIN and even googled but not with a lot of success.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

The " var. tabacum" is what we typically smoke. It could be a Burley, Virginia, Turkish etc. The others I know nothing about. I am surprised they didn't list "rustica"

 

[NRustica]

Rustica would be nicotiana rustica not nicotiana tabacum L. var rustica. They did have them.

 

[deluxestogie]

Nicotiana tabacum L. var. tabacum
Nicotiana tabacum L. var. macrophylla
Nicotiana tabacum L. var. pallescens
Nicotiana tabacum L. var. lingua
Nicotiana tabacum L. var. undulata
Nicotiana tabacum L. var. havanensis
Nicotiana tabacum L. var. serotina
Nicotiana tabacum L. var. alipes
Nicotiana tabacum L. var. sagittata

These are just morphologic (shape) descriptors. I don't think they are more significant than as gross descriptions.

• macrophylla = large leafed
• pallescens = paler
• lingua = tongue shaped
• undulata = undulating
• havanensis = looks like Havana leaf
• serotina = dusky (or possibly late)
• alipes = wing footed (?)
• sagittata = arrow shaped

Bob

 

[NRustica]

Interesting.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Rustica would be nicotiana rustica not nicotiana tabacum L. var rustica. They did have them.

You are correct!