PIPER. PEPPER. 



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Description. — Globular, diameter 4 mm., reticulately 

 wrinkled, brownish-black or grayish-black, internally 

 lighter, hollow, with an undeveloped embryo; odor 

 aromatic ; taste pungently spicy. 



Histology. — The fruit shows on cross-section a soft. 



Fig. 66. — Piper. 

 Cross-section of outer portion of black pepper: ep. Epidermis; sc, 

 outer layer of stone cells; oe, oil glands in parenchyma, s; st, inner 

 layer of stone cells; p, pigment layer; sp, aleurone grains in paren- 

 chyma; gfb, fibro- vascular bundles; c, starch-filled parenchyma of 

 perisperm (Tschirch). 



yellowish outer skin, and beneath this a thick, compact 

 layer of large, yellow, thick- walled porous stone cells, 

 mostly radially arranged, which contain in their small 

 cavities small lumps of dark-brown resin. The middle 

 layer of the fruit consists of soft tangentially arranged 



