278 



72. AIIISTOLOCHIACE^. 



[Arislolochta. 



A. bracteata, Retz. F). Br. T. 5, 75. A glaucous leafed, herbaceous 

 species is very common on the black-soil plains and is used as an antidote 

 for snake-bites. It is called Keeramar in Marathi. 



73. PIPERACE^. 



Aromatic herbs or shrubs. Leaves alternate, opposite or whorled, 

 often pellucid-dotted, entire. Flowers minute, 1-2-sexual, in axillary 

 or terminal catkin-like spikes, subtended by a peltate bract. Peri- 

 anth 0. Stamens 2-6, hypogynous, anthers jointed to the filaments, 

 cells confluent. Ovary 1 -celled ; stigmas sessile, ovules 1 or more. 

 Fruit small, usually 1 -seeded, testa thin ; albumen copious; embryo 

 minute. 



PIPER, Linn. 



Climbers with swollen nodes, often aromatic. Leaves entire, 

 often unequal sided, stipules various. Flowers minute, dioecious, 

 each in the axil of a bract, with or without bracteoles ; bracts pel- 

 tate or cupular, sometimes decurrent on the spike rachis with or 

 without raised margins, bracteoles when present forming low ridges 

 on the sides of the flower. Perianth 0. Stamens 1-4, filaments 

 short; anthers 2-celled, cells often confluent.. Ovary 1-celled ; style 

 conic, beaked or 0, stigmas 2-5, ovule solitary, erect. Fruit ovoid 

 or globose with a thin testa and a hard albumen. 



Climbers. Flowers dioecious in simple spikes. 



Glabrous. Male bract and bracteoles enlarged into a 



globose, wbite receptacle. Fruit yellow 1. P. trichostadiyon. 



Grey hirsute. Male bract peltate, orbicular, some- 

 what decurrent 2. P. HooJceri. 



Glabrous. Male bract adnate to the rachis with a 



winged, membranous margin. Fruit red ... ... 3. P. nigrum. 



Erect shrub with thick soft branches. Flowers bisexual 



in subumbellate spikes 4. P. suhpeltatum^ 



1. P. triehostachyon, Cas. Dc. in Prodr. 16. 1. 242; Fl. Br. I. 5. 80. 



Muldera tricJiostachja, Miq. Wight Icones t. 1944. 



Deccan peninsula, Neilgherry and Shevagerry hills, common on the 

 ghats from Bombay southwards in evergreen forests. A stout woody, 

 distinct species with rather narrow leaves, strongly 3- nerved at the base 

 and with 2 sub-opposite nerves higher up from the midrib. The waxy- 

 white, globose receptacles with minute eye-like stamens, in short, 

 leaf -opposed spikes and the yellow fruit, distinguish this species from the 

 other indigenous Pipers. Fl. and Fr cold and hot seasons, 



2. P. Hookeri, Miq. in Hook. Lend. Journ, Bot. 4. 437 ; Fl. Br. I. 5. 

 88; Dalz. and Gibs. Bomb. Fl. Suppl. 315. 



Climbing shrub, but not so robust as the foregoing species. Leaves 

 scarcely coriaceous, grey hirsute beneath, pellucid punctate and with 

 5-7, nerves from the broad sub-cOrdate, equal or oblique base ; petioles 

 tomentose or hairy. Stigmas 3-4, reflexed, grey tomentose. Western 

 Peninsula on the ghats from Bombay southwards to Kauara, also on the 

 Bababuden hills of Mysore. Fl. Fr. hot and rainy seasons. 



