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Peperomia pellucida

(L.) Kunth (1816)

This name is accepted

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

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Annual herbs with fibrous roots.

Stems: Stems translucent pale green, erect or ascending, usually 15–45 cm long, internodes usually 3–8 cm long, glabrous.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades broadly ovate, 1.5–4(–5) cm long, 1–3.3 cm wide. Apex acuminate. Base subcordate to truncate. Surfaces glabrous, medium green on upper surface; lower surfaces whitish green, thinly fleshy, drying papery. Margins entire. Palmately 3– or 5-veined. Petioles 0.5–2(–3) cm long, glabrous. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in spikes 1 to several, terminal and axillary or leaf–opposed, filiform, ca. 3–6 cm long, the rachis ca. 0.4–0.6 mm in diameter, glabrous, flowers well-spaced, peduncles ca. 0.6–1 cm long, glabrous. Flowers bisexual (perfect), perianth absent. Each flower subtended by a peltate bract. Calyx (sepals) absent. Corolla (petals) absent. Stamens 2. Ovary superior, ovoid, 1-carpellate, 1-celled, apex ± oblique; ovules 1 per cell, orthotropous, erect; stigmas 1–4, terminal.

Fruit: Fruit subglobose; ca. 0.5 mm long; longitudinally ridged; apex beaked; papillose–viscid with sessile glands. Seeds 1 per fruit; with scanty endosperm and copious; starchy perisperm.

Ploidy: 2n = 20–24; 44; 46; 48

Habitat: Garden weeds.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Maui Only found in cultivation

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: F.W.H.von Humboldt, A.J.A.Bonpland & C.S.Kunth, Nov. Gen. Sp. 1: 64 (1816)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1034 (O); Staples & Herbst 2005:453 (KEY), 455 (DESCR); Wagner, Herbst & Lorence 2005— (accessed Feb 2019, K added)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Peperomia pellucida Honolulu, Vineyard St., HSPA nursery Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 2685 Oahu BISH 1928-03-20
2 Peperomia pellucida Vineyard St. Nursery Preserved_Specimen Duvel, A. 98 Oahu BISH 1925-04-10
3 Peperomia pellucida Honolulu, Chinatown Preserved_Specimen leaves have peppery tast Staples, G.W. 444 Oahu BISH 1989-02-11
4 Peperomia pellucida Niu Valley, 5863 Mahimahi St garden Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. Oahu BISH 1986-01-21
5 Peperomia pellucida Waimea Arboretum deep shade Preserved_Specimen to 20 cm Lau, J. 2512 Oahu BISH 1986-06-09
6 Peperomia pellucida East Maui, Makawao District, Makawao, east side of Kailua Gulch. Plants were grown from soil cleaned off boots after field work on Guam, Micronesia in March 2012. Preserved_Specimen Duvall, F. Maui BISH 2012-07-28
7 Peperomia pellucida Koloa District: Lawai, National Tropical Botanical Garden's visitors center, at S end of Hailima Rd Rooting in cracks in concrete lanai, partial shade. Preserved_Specimen Succulent herb, stems pale green, lvs green, ripe fruits dark gray Lorence, D.H. 6442 Kauai BISH 1990-05-25
8 Peperomia pellucida Honolulu, Foster Gardens Preserved_Specimen succulent, short creeping, tufted; mature leaves pale, whitish green; small juvenile leaves bright light green Miyashiro, Y. Oahu BISH 1961-08-16
9 Peperomia pellucida Honolulu Chinatown, produce seller at Maunakea Marketplace Preserved_Specimen Translucent herb, totally glabrous, stem cuttings 4-6 in long. Lvs paler below; spikes with green and mature achenes Staples, G.W. 843 Oahu BISH 1992-06-15
10 Peperomia pellucida Koloa District, Lawai Valley. Allerton Estate at Lawai-Kai Preserved_Specimen Succulent herb on rock walls below Diana's Fountain; stem succulent whitish-green with faint pink tinge; lvs glossy medium green above, whitish below; spikes pale green Flynn, T.W. 5575 Kauai BISH 1994-07-27
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