Piper.'} 



73. PIPEUACEJK. 



279 



3. P. nigrum, Liim. Sp. PI. 28; Fl. Br. I. 5. 90; Wiol,t Icoiics. t. 

 1935 ; Rheede Hort. Mai. 7. 23. t. 12. Blackpeppur. Kala merce, H. 



Cultivated in the Koiikan and N. Kanaia, doubtfully indigenous, 

 found abundantly in some of the N. Kanaia evergreen forests. 



A stout climber, quite glabrous throughout. Leaves coriaceous, broadly 

 ovate, 5-9-nerved from the rounded and oblique base. Fh Fr. C. fc>. 



4. P. subpeltatum, Willd. Sp. PI. 1. 166 ; Fl. Br. 1, 5. 95. Potho- 

 morphe suhpeltata, Miq. Syst. Pip. 21:> ; Wight Icones. t. 1925, 



Deccan peninsula from the Konkan southwards, Penang, Ceylon and 

 the Malay Archipelago. In open situations in some of the evergreen 

 forests of N Kauara. Distinguished from the other Bombay species by 

 its erect habit and herbaceous appearance. Fl. and Fr, cold season. 



Besides the cultivated Piper longum, Roxb. Peepul, Vern. Piper Betel, 

 E/Oxb. Pawn, betel leaf and P. nigrum. Blackpepper. I have a climb- 

 ing species common in some of our N. Kanara ghat evergreens which 

 was doubtfully referred to P. WiglitH, Miq., at Calcutta. It is closelv 

 allied to P. sylvestre, Lamk., which is included in Dalz, and Gil:s. Bomb. 

 Fl. 225. The species of Piper (sec. Eupiper) are difiBcult to separate. 



Order 74. MYRISTICE-^. 



Evergreen trees. Leaves alternate, entire_, usually dotted. 

 Flowers dioecious^ regalar, fascicled, umbelled or panicied. Perianth 

 deciduous, usually 3-lobed, lobes valvate in bud. Male fl. Anthers 

 3 or more, connate in a sessile or stipitate column, head, ring or 

 disk, 2-celled. Female fl. Ovary superior, free, sessile, 1-celled ; 

 style short or 0; stigma capitate, discoid or lobed; ovule 1, basal, 

 erect. Fruit fleshy, opening in 2 -valves. Seed more or less 

 covered v^ith a lobed or lacerate, often coloured arillus; testa thin, 

 albumen hard, ruminate. Embryo at base of seed, very small ; 

 cotyledons divaricate. 



MYRISTICA, Linn. 



The only genus, same characters as the order. 



Anthers elongate, connate, stipitate. Male flowers 

 bracteolate. 



Male flowers axillary, crowded on short, stout pedun- 

 cles. Fruit 2 in., brown, minutely pubescent, 

 furrowed longitudinally ... 1. M.lanrifoJia. 



Male flowers in axillary, branched, trichotomous 

 cymes. Fruit rusty -brown densely covered with 

 deciduous, pubescence ... ... ... ... 2. M , malalar'ica. 



Male flowers in short dense, axillary clusters, densely, 

 golden tomentose ; peduncle short, 2-cleft, thick, 



woody. Fruit large, 4 in,, hoary 3. M. magnijica. 



Anthers produced to the base of the column, free at the 



tips and separable. Male flowers ebracteolate ... 4. 31. Farquhariana, 

 Anthers on the toothed margin of a peltate, triangular 



disk. Male flowers bracteolate, fascicled on short 



axillary branches. Fruit obo void, rusty -pubescent ... 5. M . altenuata. 



