1. Stigma 1, sometimes penicillate. Flowers hermaphrodite. Leaves exstipulate. Herbs.--Species 65. Tropical and South Africa. Some yield vegetables or condiments or are used in medicine. =Peperomia= Ruiz & Pav. Stigmas 2-5. Leaves stipulate or sheathing at the base. Usually shrubs. 2 2. Flowers hermaphrodite. Spikes axillary, arranged in an umbel. Stipules united into a sheath. Shrubs.--Species 1. Tropics. Yields edible fruits containing an aromatic oil and is also used in medicine. (Under _Piper_ L.) =Heckeria= Kunth Flowers unisexual or polygamous. Spikes leaf-opposed.--Species 17, two of them only in cultivation. Tropical and South Africa. Some species yield spices (pepper) or are used in medicine. (Including _Coccobryon_ Klotzsch and _Cubeba_ Miq.) (Plate 27.) =Piper= L. ORDER SALICALES FAMILY 47. SALICACEAE Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, entire toothed or lobed, stipulate. Flowers in spikes or catkins, dioecious, without a perianth. Disc cup-shaped or reduced to scales. Stamens 2 or more. Anthers opening by two longitudinal slits. Ovary 1-celled, with two or more parietal placentas. Ovules inverted. Stigmas 2-4, sessile or nearly so. Fruit capsular. Seeds with a basal tuft of hairs, without albumen; embryo straight.--Genera 2, species 20. (Plate 28.) Disc cup-or urn-shaped. Stamens 4-30. Bracts jagged. Leaves, at least those of the uppermost branches, broad (ovate or broader). Buds terminal and lateral, covered by several scales.--Species 6. North and East Africa. They yield timber, dyes, and medicaments. “Poplar.” =Populus= L. Disc reduced to one or several scales or teeth sometimes cohering at the base. Bracts entire. Leaves narrow or rather broad (linear to ovate). Buds lateral, covered by a single scale.--Species 15, two of them only naturalized. They yield timber, plaiting-, stuffing-, and tanning-materials, and medicaments. “Willow.” (Plate 28.) =Salix= L. ORDER MYRICALES FAMILY 48. MYRICACEAE Trees, shrubs or undershrubs. Leaves undivided, without stipules. Flowers in simple or compound spikes, unisexual, without a perianth, but usually with 2-6 bracteoles. Stamens 2-12, usually 4. Anthers opening by two longitudinal slits. Ovary 1-celled. Ovule 1, erect, straight. Styles 2, united at the base, thread-shaped, stigmatose on the inside. Fruit a drupe. Seed with a thin coat and a straight embryo, without albumen. (Plate 29.) Genus 1, species 25. Tropical and South Africa, Canary Islands, Azores. They yield bark for tanning, wax, and edible fruits, and are also used in medicine. =Myrica= L. ORDER JUGLANDALES FAMILY 49. JUGLANDACEAE