date, obtuse; base of the lobes broad orbicular, 5-7-
nervod, glabrous: male catkins shortly peduncled,
slender; female, short cylindrical: stamens 4.
Native of the North Eastern Provinces of Bengal.
This plate is taken, like the preceding, from Roxburgh’s
drawing, but the name was accidentally omitted when
sending it to the Lithographer.
1931. Chavica spiugrostachya (Miq.), glabrous,
leaves somewhat coriaceous, scarcely pellucid dotted,
elliptic, unequal-sided, acute or cuniate at the base,
acuminate; acumen blunt, sometimes mucronate; septuple
nerved : male catkins filiform; female, globose :
bracts pedicelled, orbiciilate: stigmas thin, short, recurved,
connate at the base.
Eastern Islands, Nepaul, and common bn the Neil-
glierries, where the specimens i-epresented were obtained.
Tt seems to be in flower .or fruit at all seasons,
is an extensive climber and covers the adjoining
trees: with a dense mass of vegetation.
1932. Cubeba W allichii (Miq.), ramuli and the
petiols of the young leaves, slightly downy, soon glabrous
: leaves epunctulate, oblong, slightly unequalsided,
acute; deeply cordate, equal at the base; lobes
rounded, nine to 13-plenerved, the three middle nerves
remote from the base: berry-bearing catkins spreading,
thick: the berries globose, a little produced at
the apex by the remains of the stigma; shorter than
the, somewhat thickened upwards, pedicel.
The following description of the specimen figured
is from the same pen, and will account for its publication.
I now regret not having copied Miquel’s
figures of the fructification into my plate, which
would have made it much more complete.
“ Cubeba, male specimen.—Leaves coriaceous ovate
or elliptic acute, acuminate, 5-7-plenerved, three middle
ones distinct from the base: catkins long filiform,
flowers arranged in rings or fascicles: bracts coriaceous,
obtuse, adnate at the base, concave, glabrous:
stamens near a fasciculus of short hairs.
“ Malabar.
“ This specimen probably appertains to C. Wallichii
of which I have as yet only seen the female,
which differs Sup having the leaves cordate at the
base : since however in this genus the leaves of both
sexes often differ in form and magnitude, I may be
deceived in this opinion.”
I t is with a view to making known the aspect of
a plant, referable to a genus almost unknown in Continental
India, that this imperfect figure has been
introduced, in the hope that it may lead to the discovery
of the fructiferous plant which should be distinguishable
by having the berries not sessile or immersed
in the spike, but borne on a distinct pedicel.
1933. P iper attenuatum (Hamilt.), scandent,
rooting and giving off suckers, young shoots glabrous
: leaves membranaceous obsoletely pellucido-
punctuate; glabrous above, the petiols veins and
nerves beneath roughish; the lower ones long pe-
tioled, cordate, ovate acuminate, 9-nerved; upper
ones broadly ovate, truncated at the base, 7- or septuple
nerved ; female catkins slender filiform, short
peduncled; peduncle much shorter than the leaves;
bracts adnate oblong: ovary elliptic, stigmas 4,
roundish, deflexed.
Neilgherries, Eastern slopes. There is a discrepancy
in the specimen represented and Miquel’s description
and figure of this species. The female
catkin in his specimen, which is younger than mine,
is about the length of the male one of my plant, or
less than half the length of that of my specimen.
As, however, my plant corresponds in other respects,
I believe it is the same species. He had not seen
male catkins and only very young female ones, and
I know- that in my plant they lengthen as the seed
advance towards maturity.
1934. P ipe r nigrum (Linn.), stem shrubby,
climbing, rooting, round; leaves coriaceous, glabrous,
pale glaucous beneath; adult ones revolute on the
margins; the lower ones, roundish ovate, about
equal-sided, slightly cordate or truncated at the base,
septuple or noveno-nerved, namely the three middle
ones each separating above the base and extending
to the point; upper ones ovato-elliptic, or elliptic,
usually unequal-sided, acutely acuminate, 7-5-nerv-
ed : catkins hermaphrodite or female, filiform, pendulous,
shortly peduncled, shorter than the leaves:
bracts linear oblong, yellow on the margin: rachis
between the bracts rough: stamens two, thick, stigmas
3-4, rarely 5, thick, lanceolate: berries globose,
red when rip e ; floriferous calycule in the hermaphrodite
4-lobed.
Malabar. The figures are taken from specimens
named by Dr. Miquel, but little dependence can be
placed on the forms presented by specimens taken from
cultivated plants of species that have been so long in
cultivation as this one has. My impression, and I
think it is also becoming Miquel’s, is that Piper tri-
oicum is the original type of P . nigrum, and that the
latter should merge in the former.
1935-6. P ipe r trioicum (Roxb.),stem shrubby,
sarmentose(thro wing out runners) and creeping: leaves
coriaceous, dark green above, light glaucous below;
somewhat obliquely elliptic (the lower ones sub-cordate)
acuminate, rounded or subacute at the base;
the upper ones lanceolate oblong, 5-7-tuple-nerved:
catkins trioicous; males filiform, females more rigid
and shorter: bracts 3 series; of the hermaphrodites
4 series; the younger ones delicately ciliate, some
glabrous; floriferous pit rough: ovary sub-globose,
3-4 stigmas: floriferous calycule of the hermaphrodite
catkins 2-lobed.
Circars.
The accompanying plates are taken from Roxburgh’s
drawings and must therefore represent the
true plant. Subsequent to Miquel’s wilting the above
characters he had an opportunity of examining specimens
from the South of India, and seems now to
think that this species is scarcely distinct from P.
nigrum, but consigns their examination" and final
determination to the careful consideration of Indian
Botanists. My own impression is that the species
are too much wire drawn, but of course in this I am
likely enough to be in error, as I have, as yet, had
neither leisure nor materials necessary to admit of
my undertaking its minute examination, without which
it would be premature to express a decided opinion.
1937. P ipe r stlvestre (Lamarck), stem shrubby,
scandent, rooting: leaves membranaceous pellucido-
, punctuate, glabrous, green above, glaucous beneath,
ovate, acuminate, oblique at the base, or in the lower
ones somewhat cordate and equal, 7-nerved, the three
middle ones extending to the ap e x : male catkins