276 The Floivering Plants of Western India. 



with the outer covering removed, white pepper. Lanoli, Matheran, 

 &o. H. seems doubtful as to it being often found wild. 



* P. Hookeri, D. says, is easily distinguished by the rather long 

 petioles being thickly clothed with whitish hairs. Common on the 

 Mahableshwar hills (D.). Dongri mirchi. D. has also * P. sylvestre, 

 which H. does not refer to, and I cannot make out the difference 

 from P. nigrum. Mr. Birdwood has it at Matheran. * P. tricho- 

 stachyum, smooth, stem stout and woody, leaves large, elliptic, 

 spikes stoat, 3 or 4 inches long, male flowers sunk in a fleshy sessile 

 roundish receptacle, formed of the greatly enlarged bract. Not in 

 D. or G. Konkan, Canara, and Khandalla (H.). 



P. longum produces in the dried flower spikes, long pepper, pipal, 

 pipri, Btngdli-pipli ; the root pipli mul (Dymock). P. betle, tdmbol, 

 supplies pan leaves for use with betel nut, and is extensively culti- 

 vated. "The Khasias, who are exceedingly addicted to pan, estimate 

 distances by the number of mouthfuls they eat on the road." 

 Hooker. 



2. PEPEBOMIA. 



* P. portulacoides. Stem smooth, erect from a creeping 

 base, leaves opposite, or upper ones whorled, obovate or 

 oblong, spikes stout, longer than the leaves, axillary or terminal. 

 Mirwal. 



Common on the S. Ghauts on moist rocks and branches of trees (D.). 

 H. does not refer to D., and gives no habitat N. of Travancore. 



* P. Wightiana, straggling, slender, smooth, leaves oblong or 

 roundish, very variable, spikes very slender, one to three together. 

 Not in D. or G. Konkan on trees (H.). 



ORDER 100. MYRISTICE^E. Nutmegs. 



Evergreen, generally aromatic, trees, leaves alternate entire 

 without stipules, flowers dioecious, small, regular, perianth 3- 

 lobed, stamens several, monadelphous, or none ; fruit fleshy, 

 but opening like a capsule by 2 valves, seed one, nut-like, 

 enclosed in a coloured aril. 



" All parts of the Myristiceae are aromatic." Le Maout. 



The fruit may be considered to characterize this small but impor- 

 tant order, which is in many respects very like Anonacese. There 

 are in W. India only two species, both more or less rare. 



MYRISTICA as the order. 



* M. malabarica. A tall tree, smooth with reddish bark, 

 leaves large, narrow, oblong or lanceolate, more or less shining 

 above, glaucous below, flowers in panicles, perianth round ; 

 male flowers with a persistent scale-like bract at the base, and 



