688 NOTE ON THE "KEU" OF THE MACLAY-COAST, NEW GUINEA, 



branches and leaves, which being bent and tied togethei' when fresh, 

 had been reduced intentionally to small, compact packages suitable 

 for transport. Immersion for a few hours in water made the 

 bianchlets and leaves regain partly their former elasticity, so that the 

 leaves could be spread without breaking and used for examination. 

 Finding that the botanical character of the leaves of the " Keu " 

 plants taken from difi'erent bundles, presented some diflferences, I 

 sent the whole concern (bundles, flattened leaves, &c.), to Dr. 

 Scheffer for complete examination, with the request to tell me by- 

 andby his opinion : whether all the " Keu " specimens belonged to 

 the same species (^Piper methysttcum) or not. The same forenoon 

 I received a short note from Dr. Schefter, written in haste in the 

 Botanical Garden, with the statement that the bundles of " Keu " 

 contained two different species of Piper and both different from the 

 Piper methysticum, but that through the absence of flowers and 

 fruits, it was impossible for him to determine the species. (1) A 

 few days later Dr. Scheffer came to see me, we had a talk about 

 the "K6u" and, being then (Dec. 1875) on the eve of departure 

 for a new trip to New-Guinea, I promised him to bring some com- 

 plete specimens (with flowers and fruits) of the different kinds of 

 " Keu " with me. I collected therefore during my stay at the 

 Maclay-Coast, in 1876-77, with some other plants, also the " Keu " 

 plant with blossom and fruits, which, according to the promise, I 

 forwarded on my arrival at Singapore to Dr. Scheffer My pro- 

 tracted and very serious illness at Singapore in 1878, during which 

 time it is not unlikely that some letters and papers went astray, 

 may account for the fact, that T never received an answer from 

 Dr. Scheffer. On my ai'rival in Sydney, in 1878, 1 quite forgot 

 to wi-ite to Dr. Scheffer to ask him about the result of his inspection 

 of the " Keu " plants and soon afterwards heard with much regi-et 

 about his death. Although the 2 new ("?) species of Piper men- 

 tioned by Dr. Scheffer in his note, have possibly not been described 



(1) The portion of Dr. Scheffer's note referring to the " K^u " was : 

 "... Parmi votre collection de la Nouvelle-Guinee se troiivent dtux 

 " esp^ces de Piper, qui sont toutes deux diffe rentes de I'espi^ce d'Apia. La 

 * ' nervature est tout autre. Par I'absence de fruits et de fleurs c'est impos- 

 *' sible de les determiner." . , . 



