Tobacco

Tobacco plants in Thailand

The tobacco plant originates from America where it was ‘discovered’ by Columbus on his first trip to the new world. The local population had already discovered that the plant can be used for smoking.

Tobacco is a herbaceous plant of up to 2 meter tall with large green leaves. Leaves of the tobacco plant are processed into tobacco to make cigarettes, cigars and other addictive products.

Names

Scientific
   Nicotiana tabacum
English
   Cultivated tobacco
   Tobacco
   Tobacco plant
Dutch
   Tabak
   Tabaksplant
Spanish
   Tabaco
   Tabaco de Virginia
French
   Tabac
   Tabac cultivé
German
   Tabak
   Virginischer Tabak
Italian
   Pianta di tabacco
   Tabacco

Taxonomy

Genus
   Nicotiana
Family
   Solanaceae
Order
   Solanales

Basic information and facts

Origin:

The tobacco plant originates from tropical and subtropical America.

Distribution:

Grown world-wide in tropical and subtropical climates.

Annual, biennial, or perennial:

Tobacco is an annual plant.

Flowers:

Tobacco has long trumpet shaped white-pinkish flowers.

Leaves:

The plant has large green leaves.

Fruits:

Climate and weather:

Pollination:

Tobacco plants can self-pollinate but are also cross pollinated by insects.

Height:

Plants reach a height of 1 to 2 meters.

Spacing:

Planting distance 60 to 90 cm between plants in rows that are 1 to 1.2 meters apart.

Propagation:

Tobacco is grown from seeds.

Harvesting:

Tobacco is usually harvested mechanically or by hand. After harvest the leaves are stored for curing, often by hanging them or by bundling or placing them in large piles with vents to allow heat to escape from the center.

Uses:

Leaves of the tobacco plant are used to produce tobacco, which in turn is used to make cigarettes and cigars or can be smoked in pipes. Tobacco is also chewed and dried leaves may be used as snuff.
Nicotine, extracted from the tobacco plant, is a toxin that can be used as an insecticide.

Proverbs and Quotes

“What do you mean?” he said. “Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?”
“All of them at once,” said Bilbo. “And a very fine morning for a pipe of tobacco out of doors, into the bargain. If you have a pipe about you, sit down and have a fill of mine!”
(The Hobbit – Chapter 1 – An unexpected party. J.R.R. Tolkien)
They had not been riding very long, when up came Gandalf very splendid on a white horse. He had brought a lot of pocket-handkerchiefs, and Bilbo’s pipe and tobacco.
(The Hobbit – Chapter 2 – Roast mutton. J.R.R. Tolkien)
After some time he felt for his pipe. It was not broken, and that was something. Then he felt for his pouch, and there was some tobacco in it, and that was something more. Then he felt for matches and he could not find any at all, and that shattered his hopes completely.
…
Goodness knows what the striking of matches and the smell of tobacco would have brought on him out of dark holes in that horrible place.
(The Hobbit – Chapter 5 – Riddles in the dark. J.R.R. Tolkien)
“You are a fine person, Mr Baggins, and I am very fond of you; but you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!”
“Thank goodness!” said Bilbo laughing, and handed him the tobacco-jar.
(The Hobbit – Chapter 19 – The Last Stage. J.R.R. Tolkien)

Did you know that?

Worldwide, tobacco use causes several millions deaths each year.
The cultivated tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum, is not found in the wild but only as a cultivated plant. It is probably a hybrid of other Nicotiana species, including Nicotiana sylvestris and Nicotiana tomentosiformis.

Recipes

There is only one useful tobacco recipe: Don’t smoke!!

Crop categories

Stimulants
Industrial crops
Botanical pesticides

Pictures