Piper 



PIPERACE^ 



27 



Family II. CHLORANTHACE^E. 



Aromatic shrubs or trees. Leaves opposite, serrate, penni- 

 veined, stipules connate into a sheath and enclosing the stem. 

 Inflorescence terminal or axillary. Flowers hermaphrodite or 



Fig. 3. Heihjosmxnn nutans Sw. 



A, End of shoot with male (a) and female C, Female tiower. 



(b) inflorescences. D, Fruit of ({. arhorescens Sw., cut length- 



B, Male tiower. wise (after Baillon). 



unisexual. Male flowers spicate ; perianth wanting. Stamens ; 

 filaments very short, continuous with the connective ; anthers 

 2-celled. Female flowers paniculate ; perianth superior, incon- 

 spicuous. 0\ary 1 -celled ; o\ule single, orthotropous, pendulous 

 from the apex. ]_)rupe small, ovoid or globose, exocarp succulent. 

 Seed of same shape, pendulous ; embryo minute at the base of a 

 copious endosperm. 



About 40 species, distributed through tropical America, 

 tropical and east Asia, and the islands of the Pacific to Xew 

 Zealand. 



