Piper (Steffensia) angusti- 

 folium. 



H 



..: < 



m NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



and surmounted by an acute acumen. The three central ribs are 

 prolonged nearly to the apex. Other species of Piper again differ 



from the preceding m 



Piper {Eupiper) Bella. ^ number f stamens, 



which may rise from 

 three or four to ten or 

 twelve; in the anther, 

 sometimes articulated 

 with the apex of the 

 filament ; in the more or 

 less complete separation 

 or union of the sexes in 

 the flowers, which may 

 be monoecious or dioecious, 



or polygamous in a single 



stock or inflorescence, or 



more rarely all herma- 

 phrodite on the same 



spike ; in the position 



of the inflorescences on 



the branches ; and in the 



behaviour of the floral 



bract to the axis. On 



these differences have 



been founded a large 

 number of sections, 1 the limits of which how- 

 ever it is often impossible to define well in 

 so natural a genus. As many as one 

 thousand species have been described, which 

 botanists have found it possible to reduce 



'■ / I 



Fig. 509. 

 Fruit. 





s/iirf 



J.-J) 



m 



\'i\ 



Fig. 510. 

 Leaf (f). 



1 C. De Candolle admits nine, which we 

 reduce to eight : 1. Eupiper [C. DC, Prodr., 

 339 ; — Piper El. (part.). ; — Chavica MlQ., 

 Syst., 222 (part.) ; — Cuheba MlQ., Comm., 35]. 

 Bract free and distinct from the flower. Stamens 

 2, lateral, more rarely 3, with one posterior, or 

 4, with one anterior. Anthers articulate. In- 

 florescences leaf-opposed. Flowers unisexual or 

 polygamous, more rarely all hermaphrodite (Coco- 

 Iryoti Kx., and 2, 3-androus (123 sp.) — 2. Apo- 

 piper (C. DC, Prodr., 366). Enpiper with 



diandrous flowers, and exarticulate anthers (4 

 sp.). — 3. Potomorphe (MiQ., Comm., 33 ; — 

 Heclceria K., in Linncea, xviii. 564; — Macro- 

 piper MiQ., Comm., 35 ; — C DC, Prodr., 331). 

 Flowers hermaphrodite or 1-sexual, 2, 3-androus. 

 Inflorescences axillary or umhellate at apex of 

 an axillary branch (12 sp.). — 4. (?) Carpunya 

 [Peesl, Epimel, 229 ;— C DC, Prodr., 326 ;— 

 Ottonia Spbeng., N. Enid., i. 225 (part.);— 

 ScJdlleria K., in Linncea, xiii. 676; — Enckea K., 

 loc. tit. (part.) ; — Arianthe MiQ., Comm. , 40 



