560 



BOTANY 



PART II 



Fio. 535. — Piper nigrum, (i iiat. size.) 



Fk!. b'Sli.—I'ipcr cubcha. a, Infructescenee ; li, a 

 male flower ; c, .a female flower in longitudinal 

 section ; d, fruit in longitudinal section. Off/- 

 ciAL. (After Berg and .Schmijjt.) 



of the stem resembling the 

 arrangementin Monocotyledons, 

 but with secondary thickening. 



The genus Piper includes a large 

 number of shrubby plants of primaeval 

 forests. Piper nigrum, from Vhicli 

 the Peppers are derived, is the most 

 important representative. This is a 

 root-climber, native to the Malayan 

 region, but now cultivated throughout 

 the tropics (Fig. 535). The unripe 

 fruits provide black pepper, while 

 white pepper is obtained from the 

 ripe fruits after removal of the outer 

 layers of the pericarp. The genus 

 Pi-peromia has hermaphrodite flowers. 



Official. — Piper niyrum and 



