66 
PEPEROMIA i^cANA. 
Hoary Peperomia. 
DIANDRIA MONOGYNIA»_Nat. Ord. PIPERACEM, Hmb, et Kunth. 
Gen. Char. — Spadix cylindraceus, floribus undique tectus. FUrres herma- 
phroditi, singiilus squama sufFultus. Stamina duo. AntheroB uniloculares. 
Stigma indivisum. Bacca monosperma. — Kunth. 
Peperomia incana; incano-tomentosa, foliis alternis cordato-rotunda- 
tis acutiusciilis carnosis petiolatis, inferioribus subpeltatis, spadicibus 
terminalibus subsolitariis longissimis. 
Piper incanura. Haw. Suppl. PI. Succ. p. 2. — Link et Otto, Ft. Merdl. v. i. 
p. 17. t. 7. 
Stem erect, a foot or more in height, erect, simple or slightly branched, thick, 
fleshy, very downy. Leaved alternate, rather distant, from two to three 
inches long, thick, fleshy, rotundato-cordate, subacute, downy on both 
sides, especially on the upper surface, where it is of a darker green, and 
nerveless, below paler, and furnished with a prominent midrib and a few 
obscure oblique lateral nerves, petiolate, the petioles an inch or an inch 
and a half long, thick, fleshy, downy, terete, flattened only above, the 
superior ones inserted into an obtuse short sinus at the base, the lower 
ones inserted just a little within the margin at the base, where the mar- 
gin is slightly protruded, and the leaf is hence, in a measure, peltate. 
Spadices one or two at the extremity of the stem or branch, when fully grown 
from 6 to 8 inches in length, tortuose, cylindrical, attenuated towards the 
extremity : the florets very thickly crowded. Scales subquadrate, pel- 
tate, green. Germen placed almost entirely above the scale, small, iub- 
ovate, plane above. Stigma miniite, sessile. Stamen one on each side of 
the germen. Anther nearly of the same size with the germen, oblong, 
purple> 1-celled. Filament attenuated at the base. 
An interesting species, and admirably distinguished by its 
cordate, thick, fleshy, remarkably downy and hoary leaves. It 
was first described by Mr Ha worth, who stated it be a na- 
tive of Brazil, and mentioned that it had flowered in Kew 
Garden in the year 1815. From that valuable establishment 
VOL. I . 
