Red Burley (not leaf position)

[WillQuantrill]

As I am currently stalk curing 20 Perique plants, some questions started tumbling around in my head that led me to do some research. Mostly I wanted to figure out a prudent length of time for air curing. It seems there is (or was) a distinct difference between Red and White Stemmed Burley varieties, with Red being the original family (pre 1860's) that mutated into what is now exclusively White Stemmed Burley. I have grown KY17 which is classified as a White Stem variety, so I am familiar with WS characteristics. And the Perique I am currently growing does show different traits, probably helpful to add that I bought the seed from NorthwoodsTobacco. If you look in seed listing it is set aside from other classes and this variety is said to be an offshoot or an actual Red Burley variety that still exists. Then arrows started pointing toward Tennessee Red as another Red Burley variety which has recently been discussed here in regards to its lineage. I know there are some members here that know much more about seed lineage and Nicotania Tabacum genetics than I so I thought I would pose the question... are there any heirloom Red Burley varieties still in existence? What varieties are they? And does my Perique qualify as a Red Burley?

 

[deluxestogie]

I certainly don't have the answers to your questions. Louisiana Perique may have, at some point, derived from red burley. ARS-GRIN lists two varieties named "Perique":
PI 405644
PI 552742
Their photos appear to be the same variety, and appear to be the same as the "Perique" that I planted and grew. One is from Louisiana, the other "donated" from North Carolina. One is classed as "flue-cured", and the other as "Oriental". I thought that mine, like both of these, looked nearly identical to Hickory Prior flue-cured variety.

So...ARS-GRIN exhibits confusion on this matter.

Given the fuzzy history of red burley in Killebrew's two 19th century books, and the fuzzy documentation by ARS-GRIN, I wouldn't know what to think of a tobacco seed listing named "Red Burley".

Bob