572 



BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



Description. — Drupe dry, superior, nearly globular, 4 to 6 

 min, in diameter, epicarp very thin, easily separable from the 

 sarcocarp; externally blackish-brown, coarsely reticulate, apex 

 with remains of sessile stigma, base with scar of pedicel, sarco- 

 carp and endocarp dark brown and with numerous longitudinal 

 veins; seed atropous, broadly ovoid, 4 to 5 mm. in diameter, 



Fig. 250. Cubeb: A, transverse section of the pericarp showing epidermis (Ep), 

 stone cells (Sc), oil cells (Se), parenchyma (P), collapsed parenchyma tissue (z), endocarp 

 (En) composed of stone cells. B, spike showing bracts (o), young sessile fruits (d), and a 

 mature fruit with long pedicel (e). C, longitudinal section of mature fruit showing peri- 

 carp (i), union (1) of seed and pericarp, large perisperm (k), small endosperm (m), which 

 surrounds the embryo (E), D, flower diagram showing the position of the flower in refer- 

 ence to the rachis (a), bract (D) and pericarp (c) which surrounds the ovule (S). — After 

 Meyer. 



externally reddish-brown, micropylar end pointed, chalazal end 

 marked by a small scar ; internally yellowish-green ; perisperm 

 large and usually with a cavity near the middle i mm. or more 

 wide, the endosperm small, situated at one end of the fruit 

 and embryo small, frequently more or less shrivelled; odor aro- 

 matic, slightly empyreumatic ; taste aromatic and pungent. 



