Piper ?[ Piperacecc. 429 



Var. /8, Walkeri, Trim. P. Walkeri^ Miq. in Lond. Journ. Bot. iv. 

 439. P. arborescens, Thw. Enum. 293 (part), non Roxb. C. P. 35 

 (part), 2461. 



Leaves smaller, broader, thinner, often 7-veined, with the 

 veins more prominent, less white beneath. 



Moist country, 1000-4000 ft.; common. Fl. January, October. 



Also in Southern India. 



This is the commonest wild pepper in Ceylon, covering the trunks of 

 the trees like ivy, and is very abundant as a wild plant in the Botanic 

 Gardens, Peradeniya. It is distinguished from P. ni^riiin by being 

 always dioecious, by the different bractlets, and the smaller fruit, which I 

 believe never becomes red ; but they are difficult to distinguish. The 

 Fl. B. Ind. gives six varieties, but in Ceylon it is not a variable species. 

 I doubt, however, if it be really distinct from P. sylvestre. 



A plant with the stems, petioles, and under surface of the leaves 

 densely pubescent is probably P. Hyvienophylluni, Miq.; but my speci- 

 mens, collected at Madulkelle, are too imperfect to decide with certainty. 

 P. diffiistim^ Vahl, Enum. PI. i. 333, collected in Ceylon by Koenig, is 

 probably referable to this species. The flavour of the fruit is weak and 

 slightly bitter, not purely pungent. 



8. P. sylvestre, Lam. III. Gen. i. 79 (1791). "Wal-g-ammiris- 

 wel, Mala-miris-wel, S. 



Moon Cat. 4. Thw. Enum. 293. C. P. 3688. 

 Fl. B. Ind. V. 93. Wight, Ic. t. 1937. 



Stems cylindrical, glabrous, rather slender ; 1. 3-5 in., rather 

 narrowly ovate-oval, acute or slightly rounded at base, acu- 

 minate, acute, sometimes slightly pubescent beneath, 5-veined, 

 paler beneath, petiole about \ in. ; fl. dioecious, male spikes 

 about 4 in., very slender, stam. usually 3 ; styles 3 or 4 ; 

 fruiting spike 4-6 in., fruit rather crowded, small, about \ in., 

 globose, rachis glabrous, bracts with raised margins, the cup 

 round the fruit oval, rather deep. 



Low country, both in moist and dry region up to 3000 ft. ; apparently 

 rather common. Ramboda; Dolosbagie; Ekiriankumbura, Uva; Trin-' 

 comalie. Fl. January, February. 



Also in Peninsular India, Assam, and the Mascarene Islands. 



I do not know how to distinguish this from the last, P. argyrophylliim., 

 and believe them to be one species ; if really Lamarck's P. sylvestre., that 

 name must be kept. I have thought it best to merely describe C. P. 



I, which is referred definitely to this species by all the monographers. 



9. P. subpeltatum, Willd. Sp. PL i. 166(1797). IHala-labu, 5. 

 Moon Cat. 5. Pothomorphe subpeltata.^ Miq., Thw. Enum. 292. 

 C. P. 2714. 



Fl. B. Ind. V. 95. Wight, Ic. t. 1925. 



A large perennial erect herb, stem 3-5 ft., very stout, 

 jointed, glabrous but warted, slightly zigzag, thickened at 

 nodes, branched; 1. very large, 8-12 in., orbicular, very deeply 

 cordate at base, very shortly acuminate, entire or nearly so, 



