47" 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



Piper qfftcinarum. 





is sessile, 1 one-celled, tapering above into a very short flask-shaped 

 style, which soon divides into three, four, or more unequal reflexed 

 stigmatiferous styles. In the cell is a little subbasilar placenta, 



bearing a single, nearly erect orthotropous ovule 

 with its micropyle superior. The fruit or so-called 

 Peppercorn {grain de Poivre ; tigs. 505, 506) is a 

 sessile one-seeded berry ; and the seed contains 

 within its coats a large farinaceous albumen (peri- 

 sperm), whose apex is occupied by a second very 

 small, fleshy albumen 3 (endosperm), enveloping a 

 minute embryo, with a very short superior radicle, 

 and broad depressed cotyledons. The Black Pepper 

 is a slender climbing herbaceous plant, with knotty 

 stems, bearing adventitious roots. The leaves, 

 inserted at the swollen articulated nodes, are alter- 

 nate simple petiolate, ovate-acuminate, penniveined, 

 subtricostate at the base. The petiole is dilated 

 below into a sheath which is prolonged into 

 two intrapetiolar stipules ; these separate at 

 a certain age from the edge of the petiole and the branch, leaving a 

 longitudinal and a circular cicatrix respectively. The inflorescences 

 are long simple pedunculate spikes, leaf-opposed (fig. 497), or more 

 rarely terminal. 



Other species, well known for their useful properties, such as 

 Long-Pepper 4 (fig. 507), Betel 5 (fig. 509), Cubebs 6 (fig. 508), Kava 7 



Fig. 507. 

 Fruit. 



1 It appears to be formed of a single carpel, 

 and though the style divides above into several 

 lobes, these would seem to represent parts of a 

 single leaf. (See Adansonia, x. 340.) Here and 

 there we find flowers with two or more carpels. 



But somewhat excentric, nearer the posterior 

 side of the flower. 



3 The former is formed in the nucleus; the 

 latter in the embryo-sac. 



4 P. longum L., Spec, 41 (part.). — MiQ., in 

 Hart. Journ,, v. 351 ; Icon., t. 1928.— C. DC, 

 Prodr., 555, n. 474. — P. longum Pistolockia 

 Plukn., Aim., 297; Phyt., t. 104, fig. 4.— Cattu 

 Tirpoli Rheed., Hort. Malab., vii. 27, t. 14.— 

 Chavica Roxburghii Miq., Syst., 239 ; III., t. 

 30; Icon., n. 256. We show below that P. 

 officinamm L. (fig. 507) chiefly produces the 

 Long Pepper of commerce. 



5 P. Betle L., Spec, 40 ; Fl. Zeyl., n. 27.— 

 Lamk., III., 79.— W., Spec, i. 159.— C. DC, 

 Prodr., 359, n. 489. — P. Melamiri L. (part.). — 

 P. Siriboa L., Spec, 41. — Sirii folium Rumph., 

 Herb. Amboin., v. 336, t. 116, fig. 2.— Siriboa 

 Rumpu., hoc. cit.,v. 340, t. 117. — Codi Rheed., 

 Hort. Malab., vii. 29, t. 15. — Chavica Betle 

 Miq., Syst., 220. —Miq., in Ann. Mus. Lugd.- 

 Bat., i. 136. — C. auriculata MiQ., Syst., 269. — 

 Artanthe hexagyna MiQ., Syst., 412. 



6 P. Cubeba L. fil., Suppl., 90. — Lamk., III., 

 81. — Roxb., Fl. Ind., i. 161. — Schnizl., 

 Iconogr., t. 81, figs. 18-20.— C DC, Prodr., 

 340, n. 410. — Cubeba officinalis MiQ., Comm., 

 33 ; Syst., 285 ; III., 48. 



" P. methysticum Foest., PL Fsc, 76 ; 

 Prodr., n. 21.— W., Spec, i. 161.— Deless., Ic . 

 Sel., 53, t. 89.— GriLLEM., Zeph. Tail., 28.— 



