Peperomia inaequilatera
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Peperomia inaequilatera | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Piperales |
| Family: | Piperaceae |
| Genus: | Peperomia |
| Species: | P. inaequilatera |
| Binomial name | |
| Peperomia inaequilatera | |
Peperomia inaequilatera is a species of terrestrial or epiphytic herb in the genus Peperomia that is native to Peru.[1][2] It grows on wet tropical biomes.[1] Its conservation status is Threatened.[3]
The type specimen were collected at Río Santo Domingo, Peru at an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level.[4]
Peperomia inaequilatera is a moderately small (perhaps creeping), ascending, densely puberulous herb with a somewhat slender stem 2–3 mm thick and short internodes. The leaves are typically in whorls of 3 at the nodes. They are elliptic-oblong, somewhat acute to obtuse at both ends, and small, about 2 cm long and 1 cm wide. Leaves on sterile branchlets are larger, reaching 4.5 cm long and 2 cm wide, or even much larger (7 cm long, 2.5 cm wide) and rhombic-oblanceolate. A distinctive feature is that one side of the leaf base decurrent onto the petiole about 3 mm further than the other side. The leaves are thin and pellucid when dry, 5-nerved with a more or less branched midrib. The short petiole is barely 5 mm long. The terminal spikes are 60 mm long and 1 mm thick, with loosely arranged flowers in whorls, and are borne on a 1 cm peduncle that is puberulous like the rachis. The ovary is ovoid with a subapical stigma.[4]
Taxonomy and naming
It was described in 1936 by William Trelease in Publications of the Field Museum of Natural History, Botanical Series 13, from specimens collected by James Francis Macbride.[5]
The epithet is derived from the Latin meaning "unequal-sided," referring to the distinctive asymmetrical leaf base where one side decurrent further than the other.[4]