Peperomia pellucida

(Linnaeus) Kunth in A. von Humboldt et al.

in A. von Humboldt et al., Nov. Gen. Sp. 1: 64. 1816.

Illustrated
Basionym: Piper pellucidum Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 1: 30. 1753
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Herbs, annual or short-lived perennial, erect or decumbent, freely branched, 10-50 cm, glabrous, without black, glandular dots. Leaves alternate; petiole ca. 1/2 length of blade, glabrous. Leaf-blade palmately 5-7-veined, broadly ovate to deltate, 0.6-4 × 0.5-3 cm, base truncate, rounded, or cordate, apex acute to slightly acuminate; surfaces glabrous. Spikes axillary, terminal, and opposite leaves, solitary, rarely 2-more, loosely flowered, 2-6 cm, mature fruiting spikes 1-2 mm diam. Fruits sessile, very broadly ovoid to globose, 0.5-0.7 × 0.4-0.5 mm, longitudinally ribbed with ladderlike reticulations; beak minute, conic, ca. 0.1 mm.


Phenology: Flowering all year.
Habitat: In shaded woods and around nurseries and greenhouses, along coastal plain
Elevation: 0-20 m

Distribution

V3 1135-distribution-map.gif

Fla., Ga., La., Mexico, West Indies, Central America, n South America

Discussion

Peperomia pellucida has shown antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli; it could have potential as a broad spectrum antibiotic (A. C. Bojo et al. 1994).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"/2lengthofblade" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Peperomia pellucida"
acute;slightly acuminate +
David E. Boufford +
(Linnaeus) Kunth in A. von Humboldt et al. +
cordate;rounded;cordate;rounded;truncate +
Piper pellucidum +
straight +
minute +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (?) +
Fla. +, Ga. +, La. +, Mexico +, West Indies +, Central America +  and n South America +
0-20 m +
glandular-dotted +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br />) +
very broadly ovoid;globose +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
In shaded woods and around nurseries and greenhouses, along coastal plain +
ascending-arching +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
broadly ovate;deltate +
opposite +  and alternate +
cauline +  and basal +
glandular +, pubescent +  and glabrous +
Flowering all year. +
3-4-carpellate +  and 1-carpellate +
in A. von Humboldt et al., Nov. Gen. Sp. +
Illustrated +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
hypogynous +
branched +  and simple +
striate +  and reticulate +
Peperomia pellucida +
Peperomia +
species +
perennial +, short-lived +  and annual +
epiphytic +  and terrestrial +
decumbent +  and erect +