1916] HOFFSTADT—PIPER METHYSTICUM 131 
11. Leaf traces are many. 
12. The base of the leaf is sheathing and vernation is involute. 
13. Buds vary in number and position. 
14. Piper umbellatum differs from Piper methysticum in the 
following ways: (1) one ring of pith bundles only; (2) the mucilage 
canal runs through the center of stem and node; (3) the bundles 
run through one internode only in the periphery and one in the 
pith before fusing with those of the leaf above. 
15. Both stems are packed, especially when young, with starch, 
piperin, and mucilage. 
16. There are no growth rings. 
Discussion and conclusions 
The anatomy of Piper methysticum and of Piper umbellatum 
agree for the most part with the anatomy of the species of Piper 
already described; especially is this true in reference to the work 
of Dr Bray (3; see also DE Bary 2). VAN TIEGHEM reports a 
differentiated endodermis in all species of Piper, but this was 
lacking in these forms. 
The question of most importance is the relationship shown by 
these forms. Srynott and BaILey (13, 14) assert that the most 
primitive condition of angiosperms was woody, and that there 
is a tendency toward the herbaceous habit in the more recent 
groups. These forms show a tendency toward elimination of second- 
ary growth and a breaking up of the woody cylinder in the following 
characters: (1) the pericycle is broken and all that remains is 
a small patch outside of each bundle; (2) the interfascicular cam- 
bium appears late in the internode and still later in the nodes; 
when it does occur the activity is primarily on one side; (3) there 
is a tendency toward the scattering of the bundles in the pith. 
These, together with the sheathing base of the petiole, the multi- 
lacunar (SINNOTT 13) type of node, and the anastomosing of the 
bundles at the side, show a monocotyledonous tendency. More- 
over, the embryo sac of the group shows the elimination of one 
division in oogenesis. 
One may conclude from this combination of characteristics 
that Piper methysticum and Piper umbellatum lie in a group well 
