78 cxxiv. riPERACE^E. (J. D. Hooker.) [Pip j r. 



ORDER CXXIV. PIPERACEflG. 



Herbs or shrubs* rarely subarboreous, aromatic. Leaves alternate oppo- 

 site or whorled, often pellucid-dotted, entire ; stipules or 2 connate, or 

 adnate to the petiole. Flowers minute, 1-2-sexual, in axillary or terminal 

 catkin-like spikes subtended by a peltate bract. Perianth 0. Stamens 

 2-6, rarely 7-8, hypogynons ; anthers often jointed on the filaments., burst- 

 ing longitudinally, or with the cells confluent. Ovary 1-celled, or of 3 or 

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

 Ovules 1 or more, orthotropous. Fruit small, of the 1-celled genera inde- 

 hiscent, of the pluri-carpellar forming cocci or follicles. Seeds globose ovoid 

 or oblong; testa thin, albumen copious floury ; embryo minute, enclosed in 

 a sac, radicle superior. Genera 8, species enumerated about 1000 (probably 

 exaggerated), chiefly Tropical American. 



Tribe I. Saurureae. Ovary of 3-4 free or connate carpels. 



Stamens 3-6. Ovary 1-celled 1. HOUTTUYNIA. 



Tribe II. Piperese. Ovary 1-celled. 



Anther-cells distinct. Fruit not minute, stigmas 3-5 confluent . 2. PIPEE. 

 Anther-cells confluent. Fruit minute, stigma usually penicillate 3. PEPEEOMIA. 



1. HOUTTUYNIA, Tkunb. 



Perennial herbs/ Leaves alternate, usually cordate ; stipules broad, 

 membranous. Spilces terminal and leaf-opposed, peduncled, involucrate ; 

 involucre of 4-6 white petaloid bracts. Flowers minute. Perianth 0. 

 Stamens 3-6 ; filaments below adnate to the ovary ; anthers oblong. Ovary 

 of 3-4 partially . connate 1-celled carpels; styles free, erect, stigmatose 

 on the inner surface ; ovules many, on parietal placentas. Fruit subglo- 

 bose, bursting between the styles. Seeds . globose, testa membranous. 

 Species 2 or 3 ; Eastern Asiatic and Californian. 



K. cordata, Tkunb. Fl. Jap. 234, t. 26 ; leaves cauline cordate,- 

 bracteoles minute. Gas. DC. in Prodr. xvi. 1. 238 ; Pair. Encycl. ii. t. 739 ; 

 got. Mag. t. 2731 ; Schnizl. Icon. t. 82 ; Roxb. Fl. Ind. Ed. Wall. $ Carey, 

 i. 360. Polypara cochinchinensis, Lour. Fl. Conk. i. 78. 



TEOPICAL HIMALAYA; from Garwhal to Sikkim, alt. 1-5000 ft. ASSAM and 

 KHASIA MTS., Griffith, &c. DISTEIB. Siam, China, Japan. 



Rootstock creeping ; stem 1-3 ft., herbaceous, erect, leafy, subsimple, angular, 

 pubescent at the nodes. Leaves 1|-2| in. long and broad, very broadly ovate-cordate, 

 acuminate, 5-nerved, abruptly narrowed into the petiole, glabrous or nerves pubes- 

 cent beneath, gland-dotted ; petiole 1-2 in., base sheathing ; stipules loug, linear- 

 oblong, obtuse. Bracts ^ | in., rounded or oblong. Spike % in., elongating in fruit 

 to 1-2 in., dense-fld. Stamens 3. 



2. PIPER, Linn. 



Shrubs, rarely herbs or trees, with swollen nodes, often glandular and 

 aromatic. Leaves entire, often unequal-sided ; stipules various. Flowers very 

 minute, dioecious, very rarely 2-sexual, spiked, each in the axil of a bract 

 with or without lateral bracteoles ; bracts peltate, or cupular and a'dnate to 

 the rachis, sometimes decurrent on the rachis with or without raised mar- 

 gins ; bracteoles if present forming low ridges on each side of the flower, 



