FAMILY HERBAL, 261 



at all in its fruit. The stalk is round, thick, joint- 

 ed, and of a deep green colour : it is not able to 

 support itseitj but climbs upon bushes. The 

 leu\es are long and narrow : they stand one at each 

 joint, upon lovg feet stalks. The flowers grow 

 upon the outside rf the fruit : they are small and. 

 inconsiderable. The fruit, which is what we call 

 long pepper, is an inc.! and a half long, and as thick 

 as a large quill, marked with spiral lines, and di- 

 vided info cells; within, in each of which is a sin- 

 gle seed. 



This lias the tame virtues with the common black 

 pepper, but in a les? degree ; it is not so hot and 

 acrid, and therefore will be borne upon the sto- 

 mach when that cannot. It is excellent to assist 

 digestion, and prevent colics, 



The Jamaica Pepper Tree. Piper J am (license. 



\N American tree, in all respects different from 

 the plants which produce the other kinds of pep- 

 per, as is also the fruit altogether different. It 

 should not be called pepper : the round shape of 

 it was (he only thing that led people to giveit such 

 a name. The Jamaica pepper tree is large and 

 beautiful. The trunk is covered with a smooth 

 brown bark. The branches are numerous ; and 

 they are well covered with leaves. The tree is 

 as big and high as our pear trees. The leaves 

 are oblong and broad, of a shining green colour: 

 they grow in pairs, and they stand on long pedicles. 

 The flowers grow only at the extremities of the 

 branches: they stand a great many together, and 

 are small. The fruit which succeeds is a berry, 

 green at first, and afterwards becoming of a red" 

 dish brown, and in the end, black. They are, 

 wiien ripe, full of a pulpy matter, surrounding 



