Piper.] cxxiv. PIPERACEJS. (J. D. Hooker.) 95 



from the coriaceous-leaved plants- referred to P. argyrophyllum. Whether, however, 

 what I have described above should be regarded as Miquel's P. Wiglitii is perhaps 

 doubtful, there being much confusion in both Wight's and Arnott's Herbaria, where 

 alone authentic specimens of Miquel's plants are preserved. Miquel's description of 

 leaves sparsely hairy on the nerves, together with specimens named by Miquel P. 

 Wightii in Herb. Arnott with this character, obviously apply to P. Hymenophyllum ; 

 others equally authentically named P. Wightii, and quite glabrous, with membranous 

 leaves, are identical with forms of P. argyrophyllum (perhaps sylvestre) ; whilst still 

 a third ' series, with coriaceous leaves and more basal stronger nerves, also named 

 Wightii by Miquel, represent that plant as here limited. Furthermore, specimens of 

 this last in Arnott's Herbarium are named by Miquel " P. nigrum forma sylvestre;' 

 In short the confusion is inextricable, and I cannot say whether P. sylvestre, argyro- 

 phylhim, Hymenophyllum and Wightii represent as many species, or fewer, or one 

 only. Lastly, P. Wightii must be carefully distinguished from P. Schmidtii (P. 

 arborescens Miq. not of Eoxl.), which though not easily distinguishable by words is 

 a very different species. 



44 P. leptost achy urn, Wall. Cat. 6649 ; quite glabrous, branches 

 stout contracted angled and grooved when dry, leaves, large coriaceous 

 petioled obliquely ovate oblong-ovate or -lanceolate acuminate 5-nerved 

 above the base, nervules transverse, fruiting spike 7 in., peduncle much 

 longer than the petiole, rachis stout glabrous, bracts with obscure margins, 

 scars glabrous. Miq. Syst. Pip. 315. P. indicum, Miq. fid. Gas. DC. 

 Prodr. xvi. 1. 498. 



BURMA ; banks of" the Attran Eiver, Wallich. 



Branches white when dry, internodes long, nodes hardly swollen. Leaves very 

 pale, 5 -8 by 2-4 in., base acute rounded or cordate ; petiole stout, |-1 in. Spikes 

 pendulous, scars narrow. Fruit scattered, globose, unripe with a distinct style, ripe 

 globose .in. diam. A very handsome species, of which the male is unknown. Cas. 

 DC. changes Wallich's name to P.dndicum, citing as the authority Miquel's Systema 

 (p. 315), where, however, the name leptostachyum is preserved, and I find no autho- 

 lity in Miquel for the name P. indicum. The P. leptostachyum of A. Richard is 

 undescribed, and only mentioned in Grisebach's Cat. PI. Cub. 69. Miquel's citation of 

 Wall. Cat. 1540 for this is an error. 



Sect. YI. Heckeria. Spikes subumbellate. Flowers 2-sexual. 



45. P. subpeltatum, Willd. Sp. PI. i. 166 ; shrubby, branches very 

 stout soft, leaves very large long-petioled membranous orbicular-cordate 

 glabrous or puberulous beneath, nerves flabellate, spikes erect. Cas. DC. 

 in Prodr. xvi. 1. 333 ; Vahl Enum. i. 337, excl. &yn. Lam. ; Wall. Cat. 

 6638. Heckeria subpeltata, Kuntli in Linncea xiii. 171. Pothomorphe 

 subpeltata, Miquel Syst. Pip. 213, III. Pip. 29, t. 26, in Hook. Lond. Journ. 

 Bot. iv. 431, and._F/. Ind. Sat. i. 2. 437 ; Wight Ic. t. 1925. 



DECCAN PENINSULA; from the Co.ncan Hills, alt. 5000 ft., sou tli wards, Heyne 

 Wight, &c. PENANG, Wallich. CEYLON, ascending to 4000 ft., Walker, &c. 

 DISTEIB. Malay Islands, Tropical Africa and Madagascar. 



A succulent shrub, 4-5 ft. high, with very thick stem and branches. Leaves a 

 foot diam. or less, acute or tip rounded, deeply cordate with a narrow sinus ; petiole 

 6-10 in., with a narrow deciduous wing. Spikes 3-7 together, 3-5 in. long, very 

 shortly pedicelled ; bracts pedicelled, peltate, triangular or ^-lunar, ciliate ; flowers 

 very minute; stamens 2; stigmas 3. Fruit very minute, trigonous, cuneiform, 

 truncate. 



UNDETERMINABLE AND EXCLUDED SPECIES. 



P. AMALAGO, Linn. Fl. Zeyl. No. 28. Miquel (Syst. Pip. 258) correctly observes 

 that Linnffius' Amalago is a mixture of various species from the old and new worlds. 

 The Amalago of Rheede (vii. t. 16) with elliptic leaves and very long peduncles is 

 not recognizable. 



