1. Aristolochia.] 113. ARISTOLOCHIACE^. 



•2-'25", 6-ridged, -with a solid beak "I-'IS" long. Limb of perianth somewhat 

 villous with a recurved villous margin and lip with revolute margins, throat and 

 lip puberulous below, glabrous above the middle. Stigmas 6 fleshy, sessile on the 

 top of the column in a ring round a depressed centre. 



Eozburgk says that the root is nauseously bitter. A decoction is used for fever 

 in Gaya." The plant is supposed to ward off snakes by the Oriyas and to be a cure 

 for snake-bite by the Santals. This is probably from the fancied resemblance of 

 the flower to the head of a serpent and is interesting, inasmuch as several species 

 have enjoyed a similar reputation in both North and South America (f . Solereder), 



3. A. tagala, Cham. Syn. A. Roxburghiana, Klotzsch. 



A more robust twiner than the last, with large lanceolate or ovate- 

 lanceolate leaves 3-10" long (on same plant) finely acuminate at apex 

 and with deeply cordate 5-nerved base. Flowers very similar to 

 those of the last species 1-2" long, in 1-2-nate short several-fld. 

 racemes with ovate-acuminate small bracts. The tubular portion 

 of the perianth is usually oblique to the globose base and curved, but 

 not at right angles to it, lip deep purple (sometimes described as 

 pale green). Fruit as in the last but larger. Seed flat triangular 

 with rounded corners, wings thick and pithy, nucleus verrucose on 

 one face ; but Hooker states that they are very variable. 



Frequent in open jungles in the Sikkim Tarai and Duars, and probably occur- 

 ring therefore in Purneah. Fl. April-May, Fr. May (of succeeding year "?) 



The embryo is only "02" long and the very minute linear cotyledons much 

 shorter than the tigellus. 



FAM. 114. PIPERACE^. 



Herbs or shrubs, often climbing, aromatic with minute glands 

 (secretory cells) which very commonly give rise to transparent dots 

 in the leaves. Leaves alternate opposite or whorled, entire, stipules 

 or connate and intrapetiolar or adnate to the petiole. Flowers 

 minute, 1-2-sexual, in axillary or terminal spikes and subtended by 

 peltate bracts. Perianth 0. Stamens 2-6, rarely 1 or 7-8, hj^po- 

 gynous, anthers often jointed on the filaments, dehiscing longi- 

 tudinally or cells confluent. Ovary 3-4-carpellary, 1 -celled, or of 3 

 or more carpels free or connate below ; stigmas sessile, simple or 

 penicillate. Ovules 1 or more, orthotropous. Fruit in the case of 

 syncarpous ovaries baccate or indehiscent, of apocarpous ovaries 

 coccous or follicular. Seeds globose, ovoid or oblong ; testa thin. 

 Embryo minute, enclosed in a sac of endosperm at one end of the 

 copious floury perisperm ; cotyledons minute or obsolete, radicle 

 superior. 



Shrubby or herbaceous. Fls. dioecious or rarely 2-sexual. Anther- 

 cells distinct (or confluent on dihescence). Stigmas 3-5 more or 

 less connate or confluent I. Piper. 



Succulent herbs. Fls. 2-sexual. Anther-cells confluent. Stigma 

 penicillate . 2. Peperomia. 



1. PIPER, L. Pepper. 



Shrubs, rarely herbs, often climbing, with swollen nodes, usually 

 glandular and aromatic. Leaves entire, mostly unequal-sided,, 



786 



