Piper] LXKXrX. PIPERACEiE 528 



(rarely several) pair, alternate or opposite, stipules membranous, enclosing the 

 buds. Spikes commonly leaf-opposed, fl. dioicous or polygamous, rarely 2- 

 sexual, stamens 1-4, filaments short. Ovary 1-celled, stigmas 2-5. Berry 

 1 -seeded, seed globose. Species 500, tropical or subtropical, a few only can be 

 mentioned here. 



A. Spikes simple. 



(a) rruiting spikes compact, dense. 



1. P. Betle, Linn.— Syn. Chavica Beth, Miq.; Wight lo. t. 1926. Yern. Paw, 

 Hind. ; Kun, Bnrm. The Betel vine^ cultivated for its leaf throughout tropical and 

 subtropical India, in Burma planted near forest trees, in the Peninsula with Brythina^ 

 Seshania and other fast growing trees, in Bengal under the shade of matting. Home 

 uncertain. L. ovate, base usually cordate and unequal-sided, blade 3-8, pet. J-1 in.^ 

 supra-basal n. alternate. Pruiting spike cylindric, pendulous, 1-5 in. long. Propagated 

 by^ cuttings, most plants ? . 2. P. longnm, Linn.— Syn. Chavica Boxhurghii, Miq. \ 

 Wight Ic. t. 1928. Wild and cultivated in Sikkim, Assam, Lower Bengal, the west 

 side of the Peninsula, in Malacca and the Malay Archipelago. Cultivated in Ceylon 

 and elsewhere in the tropics. Eootstock erect, thick, jointed, branched, stems herbaceous^ 

 numerous. L. membranous, deeply cordate, upper sessile, blade 2-5, pet. (of the lower) 

 1-3 in. long. Pruiting spike (the long pepper of commerce) solid, fleshy, l-lj in. long, 

 blackish green, shining. 3. P. bracliystacliyTim, Wall.— Syn. Chavica sphctrostachya, 

 Miq. ; Wight Ic. t. 1931. Subhimalayan tract and outer hills from Simla eastwards, 

 ascending to 5,000 ft. Assam. Khasi hills. Nilgiri, Anamalai and Shevagherri 

 hills. L. elliptic-lanceolate, blade 2-6, narrowed into pet. J-f in. long. Fruiting 

 spike nearly globose, shortly stalked. 



(6) Fruiting spikes loose, glabrous. 



a. Supra-basal n. usually opposite. 



4. p. Hamiltonii, Cas. B.C. Sikkim Terai. Khasi hills. Chittagong. A stout climber, 

 quite glabrous, L coriaceous, fruiting spikes slender, 4-6 in. long. 5. P. Hookeri, Miq. 

 Western Ghats from Bombay to Kanara. Bababudan hills in Mysore. A climbing 

 shrub, branchlets, petioles and 1. beneath hairy, L scarcely coriaceous, fruiting spikes 

 slender, 3-6 in. long. 



/3. Supra-basal n. usually alternate. 



6. p. nigrum, Linn. : Wight Ic. t. 1934.— Syn. P. trioicum, Eoxb. ; Wight Ic. t. 1935. 

 The Black Fepper, Yern. Kali mirch^ Hind. ; MilaJcu, Tarn. 5 JSfga-yoJc-kaung, Burm. 

 Cultivated in the Kans of Mysore and other evergreen forests of tropical India and 

 Burma, doubtfully indigenous on the Western Ghats. A stout climber, perfectly 

 glabrous, 1. more or less coriaceous, base cuneate or rounded, blade 4-6, pet. ^-1 in. long, 

 basal n. 3 or 5. Pruiting spike slightly interrupted, drooping, 4-6 in. long, red when 

 ripe. 7. P. argyropliyllum, Miq. Western Ghats. Ceylon, moist country 1-4,000 ft. 

 Grows up the trunks of trees, rooting like ivy, stems up to 2 J in. diam. L. ovate-lanceo- 

 late, base cuneate, not unequal, blade 3-5, pet. J in. long. 



(c) rruiting spikes loose, hairy. 



8. P. tricliostacliyon, Cas. DC— Syn. Mulder a trichostachya, Miq. ; Wight Ic. t. 1944. 

 Western Ghats from Bombay to Kanara. Nilgiri and Shevagherry hills. A stout 

 climber, 1, coriaceous, tei^t.n. distinct, fr. spikes 3-4 inches long, interrupted, fr. yellow, 

 globose, J in. diam. 



B. Spikes umbellatej £. 2-sexuaL 



9. p. subpeltatum, Willd. — Syn. Fothomorphe subpeltata^ Miq.; Wight Ic. t. 1925. 

 Western Ghats from North Kanara southwards. Ceylon, moist region. An erect 

 shrub, branches thick soft, 1. orbicular, deeply cordate, blade 8-12 in. diam., pet. 4-8 

 in., spikes 3-5 in. long. 



Order XO. MYRISTICACE^. Gen. PL ui. 136 (Myristicece), 



(Warburgj Monographie der Myristicaceen, Halle, 1897.) 



Evergreen and aromatic trees or lara-e shrubs, 1. often distichous, usually 

 glabrous beneath, entire, penninerved, often pellncid-punctate. M. {-sexual, 



