I'iper.] PiperacecE. 425 



fleshy spike which is i-ij in., ovoid-oblong, erect, blunt, 

 blackish-green, shining. 



Low country, principally in the dry region. I have only seen it in 

 tiative gardens in cultivation. Fl. all the year. 



Throughout India and Malaya, wild or cult. 



I doubt if this be a wild plant anywhere in Ceylon. The fruiting 

 spike when dried forms the 'Long Pepper' of commerce. There is a 

 specimen in Hermann's Herb. Male plants seem to be very scarce ; 

 I have never seen one. 



2. *P. Betle,^ Z. Sp. PI. 28 (1753)- Bulat, Bulat-wel, S. 

 Vettilai, T. 



Herm. Mus. 34, 36. Burm. Thes. 46. Fl. Zeyl. n. 27. Moon Cat. 5. 

 Chavica Betle., Miq., Thw. Enum. 292. C. P. 3692. 



Fl. B. Ind. v. 85. Burm. Thes. t. 83, f 2. Wight, Ic. t. 1926 (not 

 ■good). Rheede, Hort. Mai. vii. t. 15. 



Stems semi-woody, climbing by many short adventitious 

 rootlets, very stout, much thickened at nodes, young parts 

 •glabrous ; 1. large, 6-8 in., broadly ovate, slightly cordate and 

 often'a little unequal at base, shortly acuminate, acute, entire 

 but margin often rather undulate, usually 7-nerved, glabrous, 

 thick, bright green and shining on both sides, petiole f-i in., 

 stout; spikes dense cylindrical, female .1-2 in., pendulous, 

 bracts triangular- rotundate, peltate, yellow, rachis pilose; 

 stigmas 5 or 6, spreading stellately; fruit sparingly produced, 

 ■quite immersed in the fleshy spike (and forming nodosities 

 there) which is about 2 in. long and pendulous. 



Var. /3, Siriboa, Trim., Cat. Ceyl. PI. 74. Rata-bulat-wel, 



Siribo, 5. P. Siriboa, L. Sp. PI. 29. Fl. Zeyl. n. 29. Moon Cat. 4. 

 Chavica Siriboa, Miq., Thw. Enum. 292. C. P. 3690. 



Leaves duller green and scarcely shining above, whitish 

 beneath, when young, with scattered short hairs on both 

 surfaces, petioles finely pubescent ; fruit-spikes much longer 

 (6 or 7 in.), tapering at end, pendulous, irregularly nodose 

 with more numerous fruits. 



Low country, very commonly cultivated in native gardens, but not 

 wild. 



The Betel leaf, cultivated generally in the Tropics ; no doubt originally 

 an Eastern plant, but its native country not known. Var. /3 is considered 

 to have been introduced here from the Malay Archipelago, and is called 

 the Foreign Betel. Besides this Rata-biilat-wel, there are many varieties 

 recognised by cultivators ; Moon gives seven. 



P. Malamiris^ L., is based on Hermann's specimens (Fl. Zeyl. n. 28), 



* Betle and Betre are the Malabar names as given by Clusius and 

 Acosta, and other writers of the sixteenth century ; doubtless allied to 

 the Tamil name. 



