Broken grades are divided into:

• Broken Orange Pekoe (B.O.P.)
• Broken Pekoe (B.P.)
• Broken Pekoe Souchong (B.P.S.)
• Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings (B.O.P.F.)
• Dust (D.)

The grades may be described as follows:

• O.P. -- Long, thin, wiry leaves which sometimes contain tip. The liquors are light or pale in color.
• Pek. -- The leaves of this grade are shorter and not so wiry as O.P., but the liquors generally have more color.
• Sou. -- A bold and round leaf, with pale liquors.
• B.O.P. -- This grade is one of the most sought after. It is much smaller than any of the leaf grades and contains tip. The liquors have good color and strength.
• B.P. -- Slightly larger than B.O.P., with rather less color in the cup; useful primarily as a filler in a blend.
• B.P.S -- A little larger that B.P. and in consequence lighter in the cup, but also used as filler in a blend.
• B.O.P.F. -- This grade also is much sought after, especially in the U.K., and fetches high prices. It is much smaller than B.O.P. and its main virtues are quick brewing, with good color in the cup.

In addition, there are various “Flowery” variants of the main grades (e.g., F.O.P and F.B.O.P.) the nature of which I will describe slightly farther down