122 
NEW  KIND  OF  MATICO. 
those  in  my  possession.  I  believe,  however,  that  the  species 
yielding  it  will  turn  out  to  be  Artanthe  adunca. 
Since  my  examination  of  the  above  sample,  I  have  had  an 
opportunity  of  inspecting  other  samples  at  the  same  broker's 
from  which  it  had  been  obtained,  and  I  found  that  all  of  them 
consisted  essentially  of  the  leaves  of  the  same  plant  as  that 
just  mentioned,  but  in  some  there  was  a  little  genuine  matico, 
and  the  leaves,  etc.,  of  apparently  some  other  species  besides 
those  already  alluded  to,  mixed  with  them  in  varying  propor- 
tions. The  following  are  the  synonyms,  botanical  characters,, 
and  geographical  sources  of  Artanthe  adunca,  Miq. : — 
Synonyms. — Artanthe  odunca,  Miq. ;  is  the  Piper  aduncum. 
Linn. ;  Piper  arborescens,  Mil.  Diet. ;  P.  scabrum,  Lam.  111. ; 
jP.  lanceolatum,  Salzmann ;  Steffensia  adunca,  Kunth ;  and 
the  Piper  longum,  folio  nervoso pallideviridihumilius,  of  Sloane. 
The  first  name  is  that  now  generally  employed  by  botanists. 
In  common  language  it  is  known  under  the  names  of  Hooked- 
spiked  Pepper,  and  Spanish  Elder. 
Etymology. — The  generic  name  of  Piper  appears  to  have 
been  derived  from  pippul,  the  Bengalese  name  of  the  Long  Pep- 
per, although  some  authors  ascribe  it  to  mm,  vvr^  to  digest ;. 
that  of  Artanthe  is  from  aprv^a,  seasoning,  spice,  and  «v9or,  a 
flower.  The  specific  name  aduncum,  refers  to  its  curved  or 
hooked  spike  of  flowers.  The  origin  of  the  common  name  of 
Hooked-spiked  Pepper  is  at  once  manifest;  that  of  Spanish 
Elder,  by  which  it  is  known  in  Jamaica,  is  derived  from  its 
protuberant  jointed  stems  somewhat  resembling  those  of  the 
common  Elder. 
Botany. — The  genus  Artanthe  is  now  universally  placed  in 
the  Natural  Order  Piperacem. 
Generic  Character. — Spikes  solitary,  opposite  the  leaves. 
Flowers  hermapLrodite.  Style  none.  Bracts  peltate  or  cue  ullate.* 
Specific  Character. — The  following  description  is  taken  from 
Miquel :-— f 
*  Miquel's  1  Systema  Piperacearum  ;'  and  Lindley's  *  Medical  and 
Economic  Botany,'  page  133. 
f  Miquel's  'Systema  Piperacearum,'  page  449.  Figures  of  the  plant 
may  be  seen  in  Sloane's  '  Natural  History  of  Jamaica/  vol.  i.  p.  135,  tab. 
87,  fig.  2  ;  and  Jacquins  '  Icones  Plantarum  Rariores,'  vol.  ii.  tab.  210. 
