498 
PIPER. 
blaekifh or dark-grey colour. Dr. Cullen'obferves, that 
long pepper has the fame qualities with the black, out in 
a weaker degree. Bergius alfo judges black pepper to be 
hotter than this. The contrary however is afferted by 
Lewis and Murray. 
13. Piper methyfticum, intoxicating pepper, or ava : 
leaves cordate, acuminate, man.y-nerved ; fpikes axillary, 
lolitary, very fhort, peduncled, fpreading very much. 
Stem dichotomous, fpotted, attaining the height of a 
fathom. Leaves oblong-cordate, not roundjfh-cordate, 
as in the next fpecies. The root of this plant bruifed, or 
more frequently chewed in the mouth, and mixed with 
the faliva, yields that naufeous hot intoxicating juice, 
which is fo acceptable to the natives of the South-Sea 
iflands, and is fpoken of with fo much deteftation bj' our 
voyagers. They pour the liquor of the cocoa-nut or 
pure water into it; but the lefs it is diluted, the more 
this naufeous beverage is efteemed among the chiefs, to 
whom the ufe of it is mollly confined, becaufe they 
become intoxicated and then fall afieep the fooner. The 
confequences of ufing this deteftable liquor too freely are 
deferibed as dreadful. The eyes and the whole body are 
enflamed, the fkin becomes parched up, exfoliates in 
J'cales, and throws out leprous ulcers, till at length decay 
and confumption enfue : and yet even thofe who are ac- 
cuftomed to it, cannot take the naufeous draught without 
making wry faces, and their limbs quaking with horror. 
In Otaheite it is called ava ; in the 'Friendly and 
Sandwich iflands, with a Itrong afpiration, Itava. It is 
cultivated in all the iflands of the South Sea, except the 
New Hebrides and New Caledonia. 
14. Piper latifolium, or broad-leaved pepper : leaves or¬ 
bicular cordate, nine-nerved; fpikes axillary, aggregate, 
peduncled. Native of the Society and Friendly Iflands, 
the New Hebrides, in fhort, of almoft all the iflands of the 
South Sea, within the tropics. It has none of that intox¬ 
icating quality which P. methyfticum poflefles, nor is it 
ever put to any ufe by the natives. 
15. Piper decumanum, or plantain-leaved pepper: leaves 
cordate, nine-nerved, netted. Stems feveral, fhrubby, 
upright, branched, fmooth, a little knobbed, the height of 
a man and more, an inch and upwards in thicknefs at the 
bafe, when old brown, when young green. Leaves alter¬ 
nate, cordate, acuminate, quite entire, having nine or 
eleven nerves, fomewhat villofe on the veins when ex¬ 
amined by a glafs, in other parts fmooth, the longer ones 
a foot in length including the petioles; thefe are winged 
with a pale channelled membrane, in rhe longer leaves 
four inches in length. Linnaeus remarks, that it is fo 
nearly allied to reticulatum, as almoft to feem a variety; 
and that it is a native of both Indies. Jacquin aferibes it 
to the Caraccas. 
16. Piper reticulatum, or netted-leaved pepper: leaves 
cordate leven-nerved netted. Stem about five feet high, 
fending out feveral fide-branches which have protuberant 
joints. Leaves fix inches long, and five broad near their 
bafe. Native of Jamaica, Martinico, Hifpaniola, Brafil. 
Cultivated by Mr. Miller in 1759. 
17. Piper aduncum, hooked-fpiked pepper, or Spanifh 
elder : leaves oblong-ovate acuminate, unequal at the bafe, 
veined ; fpikes axillary, folitary, uncinate. Stalks many, 
hollow, about five feet high, with joints pretty clofe and 
protuberant; they divide into fmaller branches. Leaves 
feven inches long, and three broad in the middle, rough; 
the veins come out alternately from the midrib, diverging 
to the fides, and join the borders of the leaf at the top. 
The fpikes of flowers come out from the fides of the 
branches, oppofite to the leaves ; they are (lender, five 
incites long and incurved, clofely fet wdtli flowers their 
whole length. It is called Spanifh elder in Jamaica, of 
which ifland it is a native, as alfo of Barbadoes, Domingo, 
and the Caraccas. Cultivated by Mr. Miller in 1759. 
18. Piper macrophyllum, or great-leaved pepper: leaves 
elliptic-ovate, acuminate, fmooth, unequal at the bafe, 
veined; petioles appendicled; fpikes axillary, lolitary. 
This is a large fhrub, two fathoms in height: Item round, 
flriated. Flowers very clofe, not diftindl. Styles none. 
Stigmas three, feflile. The Item and branches are lefs 
brittle than in the other fpecies. Native of the Weft 
Indies, on rocky mountains; Jamaica, Martinico, &c. 
19. Piper geniculatum, or jointed pepper: leaves oblong 
acuminate, oblique, many-nerved, fmooth; Item and 
branchesjointed. This fhrub is two fathoms high and more. 
Leaves alternate, half a foot long and more, attenuated, but 
blunt at the top, rounded and unequal at the bafe, entire. 
Flowers fpiral, as in P. verrucofum. Stem, though often 
thick, yet fo weak as to require fupport from other fhrubs. 
It is diltinguifhed from P. macrophyllum, which it refem- 
bles very much, by its jointed habit, brittlenefs, &c. from 
P. verrucofum, by its joints, thinner leaves, and even (tern 
and branches. Native of Jamaica, in (tony woods. 
20. Piper verrucofum, or vvarted pepper: arborefeent; 
leaves oblong acuminate, obliquely many-nerved, veined, 
fmooth, coriaceous; (tern and branches warted. This 
is a tree, the trunk of which is from fifteen to twenty feet 
in height, upright, with the bark much warted. Branches 
fimple, terminating, leafy, round, with white warts. 
Leaves ovate, acuminate, blunt; alternate, veined ; the 
largeft from one foot to two feet in length. Flowers in a 
fpiral, the males and females in a manner diftindl. It is 
known by its habit, its warted Item and branches, and its 
large coriaceous leaves. Native of Jamaica, on calcareous 
rocks in the interior of the ifland ; Guiana, &c. 
21. Piper hifpidum, or hairy-leaved pepper: leaves 
ovate-acuminate, oblique, hirfute, wrinkled ; nerves alter¬ 
nate, veined, fpikes eredt. Stem about a fathom in height, 
upright, round, hirfute, hifpid. It differs from P. fcabrum 
by its remarkable hirfute and hifpid habit. To avoid 
being confounded witli P. hifpidulum, Swartz changed 
the name from hifpidum, which he firfl gave it, to hir- 
futum. Native of Jamaica, on the cooler mountains; 
flowering in autumn. 
22. Piper nitidum, or fhining-leaved pepper: leaves 
lanceolate-ovate, oblique, at the bafe fmooth, fhining. 
This alfo is a fhrub, the height of a man, very much 
branched, with a fmooth round trunk. Leaves alternate, 
dark green, from two to three inches long. Flowers very 
much crowded. Native of Jamaica, in mountain woods; 
flowering in fpring. 
23. Piper pellucidum, or pellucid-leaved pepper: leaves 
cordate petioled, Item herbaceous. This is an nual. Stalks 
lucculent, feven or eight inches high. Leaves an inch 
and a half long, and three quarters of an inch broad. The 
fpikes of flowers come out at the end of the ftalks ; they 
are (lender, about an inch long and ftraight; the flowers 
are very fmall, and feflile, appear in July, and are fuc- 
ceeded by very fmall berries, each containing a fmall feed 
like duft. Native of South America and the iflands, on 
the gravelly banks of torrents and rivers, being fond of 
moilture. In Martinico they eat the leaves as falad, with 
lettuce or alone, with oil and vinegar; and call it crejj'on, 
(water-crefs;) but it has too powerful a fmell and tafte 
to be agreeable to Europeans. It was cultivated in 1759 
by Mr. Miller; and flowers from April to September. 
24. Piper alpinum, or alpine pepper : herbaceous; Item 
eredt, nearly Ample; leaves ovate-roundifh acute, veinlefs 
underneath; fpikes axillary. This is an herbaceous plant, 
with filiform defeending fimple roots. Stem about a foot 
high, round, fucculent, fmooth. It is diftindl from P. 
obtufifoiium, which has a creeping Item. Native of the 
highefl mountains in Jamaica. It flowers in February and 
March. 
25. Piper hifpidulum, or hlfpid-leaved pepper : her¬ 
baceous, almoft upright; leaves roundifh, petioled, very 
thin, rough-haired above. This alfo is an herbaceous plant, 
final), and bright green. Stem two or three inches high, 
jointed, dift'ufed, round, fmooth, pellucid, brittle. 
Flowers very minute, naked, diftant; calyx none, but 
feales fcarcely vifible at the bafe of the germ. It is very 
diftindl from P. pellucidum in its tendernefs, leaves, 
pubefcence, 
