Ill 



ORDER CXXXV. PODOSTEMACE^. 



A small family of tropical and subtropical plants, the members of 

 which are found in rocky streams and rivulets The largest Natal 

 species is ff'/drostachys natalensis, which is found growing in masses 

 on stones and rocks in the Umvoti, Tugela. and other rivers and their 

 tributaries. I have included the genus Tristicha in the Key, since it 

 is stated in " Harvey's Genera of South African Plants " that two 

 >pecies occur in Natal, but I have not met with them, nor is Natal 

 credited witli any species of this genus in tlie Genera Plantarum. 

 Five species are enumerated of which two are said to be found in 

 Madagascar. No species of the Order have any special value. 



Number of species about 120. 



Flowers dici^cious. Perianth 0. Stamen 1. Ovary 



1 celled. Hn)R08TAcm-s. 



Flowers bisexual. Stamens 2, monadelphous. 



Perinnth spathacious. Sph.erothylax, 



Flowers bisexual. Stamen I . Perianth 3 parted. Tristicha. 



List of Species. 



1 Hydrostachys, Thouars, 3 Tristicha, Thou. 

 natalensis, Wedd. A-D. sp. ? 



sp. ? 



2 Sphserothylax, Btsch. 



aigiformis, Bisch. ? 



ORDER CXXXIX. PIPERACE.^. 



Several species of Piper are used in different countries, but the 

 best known is Fiper nigrum, which yields the black " Pepper " of 

 commerce. White pepper is the same seed whose outer dark- 

 coloured covering has been removed by steeping the seeds in water 

 and then using friction. Long ] epper is the entire fruit spike of 

 P. longum. Cubebs is the fruit of F. Cubeba. P. betel has bitter 

 aromatic leaves which are used by the Indians for chewing when 



