18 FLORA OF JAMAICA Pepcromia 



Harrisl Fl. Jam, 6515, 8337; Newhaven Gap, 5500 ft., G. Nicholsl 

 Tropics throughout the world. 



Leaves 8-13 mm. 1., 6-8 mm. br. Spikes terminal, dense-flowered ; 

 rhachis 1-2 em. 1., 2-2*5 mm. br. ; bracts, 8 visible about the same level ; 

 peduncles puberulous, as long as, or longer than, spikes. Berries ovate- 

 ellipsoidal, 1 mm. 1., '5 mm. br., with a pseudocupule reaching to middle ; 

 style subconical, "2 mm. 1., with stigma at tip. 



34. P. quadrifolia Kunth in H. B. k K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. i. 69 

 (1816); glabrous; leaves obovate, emarginate, 4 in a whorl; 

 spikes fleshy, dense-flow^ered. (rr/.s^^. op. cit. 168 ; Hensch Etud. 33, 

 t. 4,/. 6 ; DaliUt. Stud. 185, /. IIL 17-19 ; C. DC. in Urh. Symh. 

 Ant. Hi. 260 & iv. 192. Piper foliis quaternis ifcc. Plum. PI. 

 Amer. (Burm.) 238, t. 242, /. 3. Piper quadrifolium L. Sp). PI. 

 ed. 2. 43 (1762). 



On trees and rocky banks, amongst mosses; Broughtonl Macfadijenl 

 McNabl Portland, Pn^rZie ! Metcalfel Morris \ Cinchona, 5000 ft., i'^azfcf/i I 

 Clutel Clydesdale, 4000 ft. ; Cinchona; Harris \ Fl. Jam. 7097, 8162, 8314, 

 8328. Hispaniola, Porto Rico, ^Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuela, Ecuador, 

 Peru. 



Stem rooting below at the nodes, branches diffuse, 10-15 cm. 1. Leaves 

 cuneate at base, 9-14 mm. 1., 6-9 mm. br. ; stalks 2 mm. 1. Spikes 

 solitary, terminal ; rhachis 3-3 "5 cm. 1., 1*5-2 mm. br. ; bracts *5 mm. br., 

 2-8 about the same level on one side; peduncles 1*5-2 cm. 1. Berries 

 6- '8 mm. 1., inclined upwards, ovate, minutely pitted, pseudocupule 

 i^ length of berry ; mucronate with style, mucro J length of berry. 



35. P. septemnervis Buiz tO Pav. Fl. Per. i. 31, t. 47. c. 



(1798); glabrous; leaves opposite or 3 in a whorl, lanceolate, 

 acuminate, 7-5-nerved ; spikes thick, fleshy. Griseh.op. cit. 168 ; 

 Baldst. Stud. 191, t. IIL 36; C. DC. in Urh. Strnib. Ant. Hi. 

 271. P. peniciliata C. DC. op. cit. v. 297 (1907), & var. magni- 

 folia C. DC op. cit. vii. 190. 



On trees and in peat on rocky banks; "America meridionalis " 

 (probably Jamaica) Shakespear ! Macfadyen \ McNab ! Purdie ! March ; 

 John Crow Peak, 6000 ft. ; near Morse's Gap, 4900 ft. ; Latimer, near 

 Cinchona, 5000 ft. ; Harris ! Fl. Jam. 7966, 8315, 8327. Hispaniola, Peru. 



Plant 2 to over 8 dm. high. Leaves 3-8 cm. 1., 1-2 cm. br. (rarely 

 broader) ; stalks 4-8 mm. 1. Spikes 1-3 terminal and solitary axillary, 

 dense- flowered ; rhachis 8-14 cm. 1., about 2 mm. br. ; bracts -5- '6 mm. br., 

 elliptical or roundish, 2-4 visible about same level ; peduncles 2-4*5 cm. 1. 

 Berries '75 mm. 1., ovate-ellipsoidal, shortly stalked, pseudocupule about 

 middle, mucronate with style ; mucro broad, blunt, '25 mm. 1. 



36. P. rhomboides DaJdst. Stud. 190 t. Hi. f. 32 (1900) ; 

 stem glabrous but above slightly puberulous ; leaves 4 in a 

 whorl, ovate-lanceolate, rhomboid, acuminate, glabrous but more 

 or less ciliate at apex, obsoletely 3-nerved, dotted on both sides ; 

 spike very long, terminal, solitary, somewhat thick, dense flowered. 



Without locality, March. 



Stem creeping and rooting, apex and branches erect, angular (when 

 dry). Leaves smaller than those of P. septeninervis . Petioles minutely 

 papilloso-puberulous. Spike about 5 times longer than the leaf. Peduncle 

 minutely and sparsely papillose, one-third to one-fourth length of leaf. 



