

100 Mr. Thompson's Account of some new Species of Piper* 



The anomalies necessarily occurring in extensive genera, when 

 properly understood, are to be considered as affording great 

 helps to the inquiries of the practical botanist. In the genus 

 now under consideration they may be made eminently useful: 

 thus, for instance, it may be divided into two sections ; the first 

 containing the shrubby species, the other the herbaceous, both 

 of which may be further subdivided into — 1st, Such as are 

 erect; and, 2dly, Such as creep or climb, in the following manner. 



a * Fruticosa, erecta. 

 Piper Amalago, reticulatum, aduncum, &c. 



* * Fruticosa, scandentia. 

 Piper nigrum, longum, &c. 



b * Herbacea, erecta. 



> 



Piper acuminatum, pellucidum, alpjnum, &e. 



* * Herbacea, repentia. 

 Piper glabellum, obtusifolium, nummularifolium, &c. 



It may be worthy of remark that the individuals of the first 

 section are common to both continents, those of the second are 

 confined exclusively to the old, and those of the two last prin- 

 cipally to the new. 



The species herewith presented belong to the last section, and 

 are all so very strongly and distinctly marked that they cannot 

 fail to be at all times easily discriminated. 



Piper quadrangulare. 

 Tab. XXI. Fig. 1. 



Piper herbaceum, caule quadrangulare radicanti, foliis oppositis 

 rhombeis, pedunculis axillaribus solitariis, spicis binatis. 



Habitat 



