1. Piper.] lU. PIPERACE^. 



I have little doubt that this is Eoxliirgh's plant which was collected in the same 

 rangre of mountains further south. Roxburgh* says " in trioicum the leaves have a 

 glaucous appearance, which readilj^ distinguishes it from nigrum, which has 

 shining dark green leaves," hut Miguel saj's " trioicum has leaves less white 

 heneath, also that the leaves are narrower, tending more to the lanceolate form, 

 and are less coriaceous and the amenta trioecious." 



The cultivated P. nigrum is the source of black and white pepper. The berries 

 plucked just before they turn red and dried constitute black pepper. The ripe 

 fruit deprived of the pericarp by maceration in water, then dried in the sun, 

 becomes white pepper. Pepper is used by the Hindus in dyspep.sia and very 

 largely in cholera epidemics. 



C. p. attenuatum, Ham. 



Rambling and climbing on trees by its adventitious roots, with 

 soft slender glabrous branches grooved when dry and broadly ovate 

 membranous leaves 4-5-5" with subregular or slightly oblique rounded 

 retuse or cordate base and abruptly acuminate apex, upper surface 

 glabrous, lower thinly shortly hairy especially on the nerves. Primary 

 (and sub-primary) nerves 7, the midrib and 2 subprirnary (a little 

 above the base) reaching the apex but the latter sometimes looped 

 before doing so, outermost nerves shorter and weak, one reaching 

 about half way to apex and looping, tertiaries very slender subparallel. 

 Petiole •7-2". Spikes solitary leaf-opposed very slender, about '05- 

 •08" diam. ]Males 3-5", bracts adnate cupular, rounded at apex, 

 bracteoles slender, stamens 2-4 exserted. Fem. 2^5-3'5" on slender 

 peduncles -5" long, bracts rather distant rounded truncate with mar- 

 gins decurrent below and with the bracteoles forming a low mem- 

 branous rim. Ovary sessile glabrous with a broad base and 3-4 short 

 spreading stigmas. Fruiting spikes elongating to 6-9", berries -15^ 

 diam. globose, rhachis pubescent. 



Mais of Orissa. Fl. Aug.-Sept. New shoots from April onwards through 

 the r.s. 



2. PEPEROMIA, Ruiz d: Pav. 

 Herbs, usually succulent with alternate opposite or whoi'led entire 

 gland-dotted exstipulate leaves. Flowers 2-sexual, minute bracteate, 

 sessile, or sunk in the rhachis of solitary or fascicled spikes. Stamens 

 2 very short, anther-cells confluent. Ovary 1 -celled, stigma lateral 

 or terminal usually penicillate. Ovule 1 erect. Fruit minute, 

 indehiscent. Seed with membranous testa. 



Leaves whorled •25-" ■!■", elliptic to orbicular or obovate , , . 1. reflexa. 

 Leaves opposite and alternate '5-1", ovate 2. pellucida. 



1. P. reflexa, A. Dietr. 



A small tufted herb growing on tree trunks, 4-6" high, much 

 branched with firm ridged and grooved branches and elliptic orbicular 

 or somewhat obovate leaves •25-'4" long mostly 4 in a whorl, thick 

 and rather fleshj' when fresh, coriaceous when dry, margins recurved. 

 Spikes mostly terminal -5-1 ^25" long on slender peduncles •3--5" long, 

 rhachis pubescent. Bracts peltate, distant, very minute, under 

 •02" diam., the flowers sunk in cavities of the rhachis above them. 



Parasnath, Wood, C. B. Clarke ! Meghasani, 4000 ft. ! Fl. April-May. 



Stem described as pubescent in F.B.I. In my specimens the whole plant is 



* He also describes the bracts as peltate, but does not figure them so. Wight's 

 figure is said to be after iJoxJurj/ A. 



790 



