PIPERACEJ2. 
298 
[. Peperomia . 
4. P. elliptica, Bietr. ; Gas. DC. Prod. xvi. 440. Stems slender, 
glabrous, 4 foot long, trailing and rooting at the nodes in the lower 
part, ascending afterwards. Leaves broad obovate, or nearly round, 
glabrous, in. long, very obtuse, deltoid or rather rounded at the base, 
penninerved, with 3-4 slender ribs on each side forming an angle of 
45° with the midrib ; petiole under i in. long. Spikes solitary, under 
an inch long, shortly peduncled, axillary and terminal ; bract round, 
glabrous, subsessile. Ovary ovoid, immersed at the base, with a 
terminal penicillate sessile stigma. Piper mauritianum, Poem, et 
Schult. Mant. v. 1245. 
Mauritius, in the dense woods of the Pouce range, etc. Also Bourbon. 
5. P. penninervia, Baker. Stems under in. thick, trailing and 
rooting at the nodes in the lower part, f-1 foot long, simple or branched 
glabrous. Leaves nearly round, membranous, opposite, obtuse, rounded 
at the base, in. long, furnished, especially at the base, with fine 
spreading brownish hairs, penninerved with 3-4 ribs on each side erecto- 
patent from the midrib ; petiole | in. long. Spikes solitary, ter- 
minal or lateral, under an inch long, on in. ascending peduncles ; 
rachis glabrous, pitted; bract round, sessile, glabrous. Ovary globose, 
immersed at the base, with a sessile terminal stigma. 
Mauritius, Carmichael ! Endemic. 
6. P. reflexa, Bietr. ; Gas. BG. Prod. xvi. 451. Stems foot 
long, once or twice dichotomously forked, slender, glabrous, articu- 
lated at the nodes, tetragonous and when dried deeply sulcate. Upper 
leaves usually 4 in a whorl, horizontal, bright green, coriaceous, obovate, 
in. long, obtuse, glabrous, slightly rounded at the base, obscurely 
triplinerved ; petiole very short. Lower leaves opposite, on longer 
petioles. Spikes terminal, solitary, ^-1^ in. long, distinctly peduncled ; 
rachis pilose, with deep rhomboid pits ; bract round, subsessile. Ovary 
ovoid-ampullseform, with a terminal penicillate stigma. Fruit oblong, 
narrowed to a point. Wight , Ic. t. 1923. 
Mauritius, in shaded woods of the Pouce, etc. Cosmopolitan in the tropics. 
There are two other species in Dr. Balfour’s Rodriguez collection, both probably 
novelties and endemic, but as yet unknown in flower. 
7. Stems under a foot long, rooting from the lower nodes, copiously branched, 
-yU- in. thick, with a few short spreading hairs. Leaves opposite, oblong or obovate, 
with a cuneate base, very obtuse, | in. long, membranous, bright green, distinctly 
triplinerved from the base nearly to the top, with distinct anastomosing intermediate 
veinlets ; petiole pilose, f-f in. long. Balfour, 1305 ! 
8. Stems branched or simple, half a foot long, in. thick at the base, rooting 
from the lower nodes, densely clothed with short spreading whitish hairs. Leaves 
opposite, obovate or oblong, rather rounded at the base, f-f in. long, membranous, 
with both surfaces pubescent, distinctly triplinerved from the base nearly to the 
apex, with very distinct and anastomosing intermediate veinlets ; petiole J in. long, 
densely pubescent. Balfour, 1279 ! 
