Help with identifying this variety please?

[Puffin]

I have cultivated the below this season, having been sold the seed as an unspecified oriental variety. I was hoping for some help please in identifying what I actually have here if that is possible from the photos? They were planted out reasonably close together, assuming they would be as advertised. Other than the plant pictured (right) that shows a flower head forming, I have just started topping and removing suckers on all the others, so I have maybe 3-4 weeks to decided if the leaves would best be sun-cured, or I use the kiln and flue-cure – which given the weather at present would likely be the easier option. Many of the leaves, particulary the upper leaves, have pronounced pointed tips, but then only 10-15 leaves on each stalks that are 30-36" tall. The RHS image was to try and show the leaf spacing.

 

[deluxestogie]

The leaves in the second image appear to show a petiole (free stem with a slight fringe, at the base of each leaf). If it is an Oriental, then a petiolate leaf would place it in the Samsun group (Samsun, Bafra, Trabzon, or Katerini). These are traditionally sun-cured.

Bob

 

[Wombat_smokes]

Based on Bob's assessment & some sluething at Northwest Seeds; I'd vote for Samsun Maden. These specimens were grown at 18-24 inches if I remember the age of the photos compared to other discussions regarding orientals/Turkish strains.

 

[Puffin]

Thanks you both! I was concerned that I may have grown a type of Virginia, but as has pointed out, the petioles are clean, whereas I see now that on Virginia they are typically winged. The plants do look very much like the images online for the Samsun.

 

[TigerTom]

Beautiful plants!

 

[Puffin]

Many of the leaves are now 12-15" in length, and based on this I'm inclined to think that these may well be Trabzon rather than Samsun.
Despite the need to begin topping 4 weeks ago, the leaves are showing little sign of ripening so far. The production of suckers however is prolific. My plan is to yellow the leaves in the kiln before sun-curing. I experimented with yellowing some green wind-damaged leaves in this way unsuccessfully, so I'm aware that I will need to see more indications that the leaves are ripening up before priming them if I'm going to use this method.