1. Piper.] 114. PIPERACEM. 



2. P. peepuloides, Boxh. 



A slender climbing shrub adhering to the trunks of trees by its 

 adventitious roots, with firm pale-coloured, often pustulate, branches. 

 Leaves thin oblong, ovate-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, long- 

 acuminate, 4-5-5" long, base not cordate but very oblique and rounded,, 

 both sides glabrous, under surface with microscopic white dots ; 

 primary nerves, 3 more or less meeting in apex as in P. longum, 

 1 each side reaching about half-way and often 1-2 very weak ones 

 added ; transverse tertiaries weak. Petiole •2--4". Male spikes 

 slender leaf -opposed -75-2" on peduncles -I-'IS" with close peltate 

 shortly stoutly pedicelled bracts -025" diam., stamens 2-4 to each 

 bract. Fem. spikes very short •2--1" on peduncles •1--2", cylindric 

 in fruit Avith very close berries -08" diam. and remains of the peltate 

 bracts between. 



Extreme north of tlie i^rovince. Hills of N. Champaran in damp situations ! 

 Fl. Oct. -Dec. Fr. Fel). March. 



Some specimens named P. peepuloides at Kew, collected in the Darjeeling- 

 District and Khasia Hills, have flexuous fruiting spikes 1-1'5" long, peduncles 

 •3-*7" long and berries '14" diam. They seem doubtfully the same species. 



3. P. chaba, Hunter. Syn. P. officinarum, Cas.D.C. ; Chavica 



officinarum, 31{q. ; Chai, Beng. : Chab, Chair, H. 



Stout, shrubby, climbing by means of its adventitious roots, quite 

 glabrous. Leaves sub-coriaceous oblong or lanceolate-oblong or lower 

 ovate-lanceolate, acute or acuminate, with obliquely cordate or 

 sometimes subequal or attenuate base, pale beneath. Petiole •25--5". 

 Spikes leaf-opposed erect; fleshy, with the peltate bracts sessile. 

 Male spike " about equalling the leaf," stamens 2-3.* Female spike 

 much shorter, ovary immersed in the rhachis, stigmas 3. Fruiting 

 spikes " 1-2" long, -5" diam.," broadest at base, obtuse, forming a 

 fleshy cone of innumerable berries each about -OS-- 12" diam. 



Only cultivated in India. I have seen no authentic specimens from our area. 

 Fl. July. Fr. Sept. 



Stems finely grooved and about 20-ridged, glabrous. Leaf base not cordate 

 (though it is cordate in very j'oung plants), mostly unequal, each side rounded or 

 obtuse or one side subcordate or acute, 2-5", usually no strong basal lateral nerves 

 (an occasional leaf may show one and Hooker says base 3-5 nerved!), sec. n. 4-5 

 mostly alternate, but sometimes one pair opposite, not ver3' strong, not distinctly 

 looping. Male spikes (from Jliquel's fig'ure) about 1" cjiindric on peduncles 

 •5-'G". Fem. spikes somewhat conical, compact, '4'' in flower, •8-l"2" in fruit on 

 peduncles '3" long. 



4. P. b6tle, L. Pan, H. Beng. ; Betle-leaf Pepper. 



A climbing shrub with woody roots, glabrous or buds pubescent. 

 Leaves coriaceous from broadly cordate-ovate to obliquely elliptic 

 oblong, 4-7" long by 2-4" broad, acuminate, primary or sub-primary 

 nerves 5-9, usually 7, midrib with 1 sec. nerve both sides. Petiole 

 •3-1-5". Spikes pendulous, bracts orbicular or somewhat obovate, 

 sessile on the hirtellous rhachis. Male spikes S-CV by -1--12" diam.^' 

 stamens 2. Female long-peduncled, •7-3-5", ovary immersed in and 

 confluent with the rhachis, apex tomentose, stigmas 4-6 lanceolate. 

 Fruiting spikes stout 1-5", berries -17—25" diam. very numerous, 



* None of the specimens I have seen show male inflorescence. 



788 



