164 
PEPEROMIA renirormis. 
Kidney leaved Peperomia. 
DIANDRIA MONOGYNIA.—Nart. Orv. PIPERACE. 
Gen. Cuar.—Spadix cylindraceus, floribus undique tectus. Stamina duo. 
Stigma indivisum. Bacca monosperma. Caulis herbaceus.—Humb. 
Peperomia reniformis ; subpubescens, caule repente valde ramoso, fo- 
liis alternis cordato-reniformibus carnosis subtrinervibus longe petio- 
latis, pedunculis solitariis oppositifoliis medio bracteatis, spicis cy- 
lindraceis brevibus. 
Stem creeping, cylindrical, very much branched, pubescent, throwing out 
numerous ramified fibres from beneath the point of insertion of the 
leaves. Leaves numerous, alternate, between cordate and reniform, 
fleshy, slightly pubescent and dotted when seen under a microscope, 
obscurely 3- or sometimes 5-nerved, petiolated ; petiole longer than the 
leaf, grooved on the upper side, pubescent at the base. 
Peduncles opposite the leaves numerous, solitary, scarcely an inch long, cy- 
lindrical, pubescent, having near the middle a small linear bractea. Spike 
hardly above half an inch in length, cylindrical. Flowers very minute. 
Scale subquadrangular, peltate. Pistil ovate. Anthers 2. Fruit ovate, 
with the style much attenuated and persistent. 
Sent by the Reverend L. GuILDING from the Island of 
St Vincent’s. I can find no description which coincides with 
it; but it comes very near to the Piper bracteatum of Toomp- 
SON in the Linnean Transactions, v. ix. p. 203. t. 21. f. 2. 
That species, however, has the leaves with a decided acumen ; 
whereas those of the present individual are remarkably obtuse. 
Fig. 1. Flower. Fig. 2. Spike of fruit. Fig. 3. Single Fruit. Fig. 4. Leaf. 
—All more or less magnified. 
VOL. Ill. 
