Piper.] . cxxiv. PIPERACE^. . (J. D. .Hooker.) 87 



rugosely reticulated, basal auricle sometimes incurved and overlapping the petiole, at 

 others absent, nerves impressed above ; petiole -^ in., slender. Female spike young, 

 fin. long; peduncle as long hoary. An obscure but very distinct plant, of which 

 the specimens are insufficient. Miquel unites with it Wallich's 6651 A (P. Chuvya, 

 Hunter ?), which is a Siam plant collected by Finlayson and is quite different, having 

 glabrous leaves ; it is in too imperfect a state for determination. Cas. De Candolle 

 quotes Ckavica Arnottiana, Miquel, and Wall. Cat. 6651 A, B, under his P. Arnot- 

 tianum, but describes from Wall. Cat. 6650 E, F, which are unquestionably P. Chaba. 

 I do not know where Phuranbari, Hamilton's habitat, is. 



** Fruiting spikes globose. Stigmas sessile. 



24. P. brachystachyum, Wall. Cat. 6656, in part ; quite glabrous, 

 branches slender rigid lower warted, leaves petioled thinly coriaceous elliptic- 

 lanceolate or -ovate obtusely caudate-acuminate 5-nerved, base acute, fruit- 

 ing spike globose very shortly peduncled. P. vasculosum, Wall. Cat. 6660. 

 P. Mullesua & Guigu'al, Don Prodr. 20 ; Cas. DC. in Prodr. xvi. 1. 338, 339, 

 Chavica sphserostachya, Miq. Syst. Pip. 279, III. Pip. 44, t. 42, 43, in Hook. 

 Lond. Journ. Sot. v. 551, and Fl. 2nd. Sat. i. 2. 446, t. 27 B, excl. var. /3 ; 

 Cas. DC. in Prodr. xvi. 1. 388 ; Wight Ic. t. 1931. C. Mullesua & Gmgual, 

 Miq. Syst. Pip. 280. 



SUBTROPICAL HIMALAYA ; from Simla to Bhotan, alt. 2-5000 ft. KHASIA MTS., 

 alt. 3-5000 ft. NILGHIKI HILLS, alt. 5000ft., Nbton, &c. 



A much-branched twiggy shrub, 5-6 ft. high; branches terete, woody. Leaves 

 membranous, rarely coriaceous, 3-7 by 1-3| in., nerves strong beneath, nervules 

 transverse; petiole slender, |- in. ; young leaves in Kumaon specimens are rouuded- 

 cordate. Male spikes only seen on Nilghiri specimens, 2-3 in., slender, drooping; 

 bracts minute, peltate ; stamens 2 ; anthers reuiform, cells, confluent, dehiscing across 

 the tip. Female spikes |-J in. diam., rachis pubescent. Fruit -,' in. diam. ; stigmas 3, 

 very minute. Only to be distinguished from P. peepuloides by the globose fruiting 

 spikes, having like it the frequently warted branches. Amongst a host of speci- 

 mens I have not one collected as male in the Himalaya, and suspect that the males are 

 mixed up with those of P. peepuloides, Jchasianum and nepalense, which are often 

 undistinguishable in young foliage. 



Var. rhomlica ; leaves more coriaceous rhombic-ovate 7-nerved, fruiting spikes 

 larger, -f in. diam. Assam, mouth of the Now Dihong River, Griffith. 



25. P. Thomson!, HooJc.f. ; scandent, quite glabrous, branches stout 

 herbaceous, leaves kmg-petioled ovate-oblong ,or -lanceolate acuminate 5- 

 nerved at the rounded or- cordate often oblique base, fruiting spike shorter 

 than its peduncle subglobose. Chavica Thomsoni, Cas. DC. in Prodr. xvi. 

 1. 389. C. petiolata, Ca. DC. I. c., the Khasian specimen. Chavica No. 18, 

 Herb. Ind. Or. H.f. # T. 



SIKKIM HIMALAYA, alt. 7000 ft., Treutler. KHASIA MTS., alt. 3-4000 ft., 

 J. D. H. # T. T. CACHAR, Keenan. 



Branches as thick as a crow-quill and more, rooting at the nodes, not woody, 

 black when dry. Leaves 4-7 by 2-3^ in., thick, nervules indistinct ; petiole 1-2^ in. 

 Male spikes 12 in., bracts peltate. Fruiting spikes very young, | in. A very dis- 

 tinct-looking species, I think, but hardly in condition for description ; the fruiting 

 spikes are too young to judge of their mature form. 



*=#* Fruiting spike long or short. Ovary produced into a distinct style. 

 EHYNCHOLEPIS, Miq. 



26. P. rostratum, Eoxl. Fl. Ind. i. 160, and Ed. Carey fy Wall. i. 163 ; 

 stem erect, branches petioles leaves beneath and peduncles roughly tomen- 

 tose, leaves large membranous shortly petioled oblong orbicular or somewhat 



