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Peperomia alternifolia

Yunck. (1933)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Magnoliids Order: Piperales Family: Piperaceae Genus: Peperomia

‘ala‘ala wai nui [alaala wai nui]

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Fleshy herbs.

Stems: Stems green or reddish–tinged, zigzag, ascending from a repent base, (5–)10–15(–30) cm long, ca. 1–1.5 mm in diameter toward base, usually not branched, internodes 0.3–1(–1.5) cm long, glabrous.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades elliptic–oblanceolate or rhombic–elliptic, 1.5–4 cm long, 0.5–1 cm wide. Apex acute to acuminate, rarely lower leaves obtuse. Base cuneate to attenuate. Surfaces glabrous, green; lower surfaces paler. Margins flat, entire. Palmately 3-veined. Petioles 0.3–0.6 cm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in fleshy spikes 1 or sometimes several, axillary, 1.5–2.5(–3) cm long, the rachis ca. 0.5–1 mm in diameter, glabrous, flowers moderately congested, peduncles 0.5–0.7 cm long. Flowers bisexual (perfect), perianth absent. Each flower subtended by a peltate bract. Calyx (sepals) absent. Corolla (petals) absent. Stamens 2. Ovary superior, ellipsoid–obovoid, 1-carpellate, 1-celled, apex slightly oblique; ovules 1 per cell, orthotropous, erect; stigmas subterminal.

Fruit: Fruit subglobose–obovoid; ca. 0.7 mm long; papillose–viscid with sessile glands. Seeds 1 per fruit; with scanty endosperm and copious; starchy perisperm.

Ploidy: 2n = 44

Habitat: On rocks or epiphytic on tree trunks; mesic valleys.

Elevation Range: 150–520 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Endemic

Island Status

Molokai Endemic
Lana'i Endemic
Maui Endemic

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Bull. Bernice P. Bishop Mus. 112: 24 (1933)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1022 (Mo, L, M); Hank Oppenheimer pers. obs./Munro 274 BISH (L†, 1913)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Peperomia alternifolia Mapulehu Valley, W branch Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 4292 Molokai BISH 1928-07-20
2 Peperomia alternifolia Mapulehu Valley Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 302 Molokai BISH 1912-07-01
3 Peperomia alternifolia Mapulehu Valley Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 302 Molokai BISH 1912-07-01
4 Peperomia alternifolia Punaula Valley, ledge beside waterfall Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 12833 Molokai BISH 1932-12-01
5 Peperomia alternifolia Waiapaa, pali above Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 274 Lanai BISH 1913-12-23
6 Peperomia alternifolia Punaula Valley, canyon mossy rocks Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 12823 Molokai BISH 1932-12-01
7 Peperomia alternifolia Mapulehu Valley Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 302 Molokai BISH 1912-07-01
8 Peperomia alternifolia Mapulehu Valley, W branch along streambed, among rocks Preserved_Specimen Wiebke, H. 3069 Molokai BISH 1928-07-20
9 Peperomia alternifolia Wailau Valley on ground, wet woods Preserved_Specimen Wiebke, H. 3185 Molokai BISH 1928-08-04
10 Peperomia alternifolia East Molokai, Wailau Valley, N coast wet; forest, rocks, earth banks Preserved_Specimen leaves flehsy Fosberg, F.R. 9630 Molokai BISH 1933-07-03
11 Peperomia alternifolia East Maui, Makawao District, Hana Hwy. at Oopuola on mountain apple tree trunk Preserved_Specimen epiphyte; some leaves thick and succulent; plants entirely glabrous Hobdy, R.W. 1920 Maui BISH 1984-01-26
12 Peperomia alternifolia Mapulehu Valley on stone faces, streambed Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 1877 Molokai BISH 1970-08-07
13 Peperomia alternifolia East Maui, Hana Hwy. at Oopuola on mountain apple tree trunk Preserved_Specimen epiphyte; some leaves thick and succulent; plants entirely glabrous Hobdy, R.W. 1920 Maui BISH 1984-01-26
14 Peperomia alternifolia Wailau Valley, E bank of stream wet forest Preserved_Specimen stems red, fleshy, zig-zag; leaves thin-fleshy, green above, pallid beneath Fosberg, F.R. 13469 Molokai BISH 1936-12-28
15 Peperomia alternifolia Wailau Valley on ground, wet woods Preserved_Specimen Wiebke, H. 3186 Molokai BISH 1928-08-04
16 Peperomia alternifolia West Maui, Lahaina District, Kahana Valley. Uncommon, on rocks and low tree trunks along perennial stream in disturbed lowland forest. Vegetation: Aleurites, Psidium, Pisonia, Pouteria, Pipturus, Urera, Musa, Cibotium, Psychotria, Microlepia, Christella, Rubus, Zingiber, Deparia, Peperomia, Lepisorus, Tibouchina, Clidemia, Ipomoea, Oplismenus. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 111202 Maui BISH 2012-11-08
17 Peperomia alternifolia Halawa, N fork, Hipuapua Stream on Antidesma; mesic ohia forest, native trees and shrubs, exotic shrubs and grasses Preserved_Specimen epiphyte Stemmermann, R.L. 3958 Molokai BISH 1979-07-21
18 Peperomia alternifolia Wailau Valley mossy rock, woods Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 13232 Molokai BISH 1933-07-03
19 Peperomia alternifolia West Maui, Kahakuloa, Poelua gulch on tree trunk, forest, steep slope Preserved_Specimen epiphyte; leaves minutely ciliate near apex Hobdy, R.W. 2116 Maui BISH 1984-05-29
20 Peperomia alternifolia West Maui, Honokohau Valley steep slope on E side; moss covered log in shade ~60' above watercourse; with Wikstroemia oahuensis, Pneumatopteris sandwicensis, Rubus rosifolius, Diplazium sandwichianum, Pipturus albidus, Cytandra grayi, Buddleia asiatica, Hedyotis accuminata, Elaphoglossum, Cyanea elliptica Preserved_Specimen Meidell, J.S. 138 Maui BISH 1996-08-29
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