Piper hostmannianum
Content
Description
Shrub, subshrub or treelet to 7 m tall. Stem crisp-pubescent. Prophyll glabrous, marginally with some hairs or densely pubescent. Stipules rather long persistent; petiole 0.5-1(-1.5) cm long, crisp-pubescent, vaginate to apex; blade not conspicuously glandular-dotted, shiny, broadly elliptic or broadly to narrowly ovate, 10-25 x 2.5-13 cm, (old leaves often broader than young ones), margin not ciliate, apex acuminate, base unequally attached to petiole difference 0-0.7 cm, obtuse, rounded to subcordate, sometimes acute, glabrous above, below densely appressed pubescent on veins; pinnately veined, secondary veins 3-6 per side, originating from lower 3/4 of primary vein, at an angle of 60º, anastomosing, soon abruptly ascending at an angle of 120º, intersecondaries conspicuous, tertiary veins widely reticulate. Inflorescence erect; peduncle 1 cm long, to 1.5 cm in fruit, crisp-pubescent; spike 10-12 cm long, white or yellow; floral bracts densely crowded, spirally arranged, densely marginally fringed. Infructescence green, to 12 cm long, 4 mm wide; fruits oblongoid or trigonous, glabrous to puberulent at apex, stigmas 3, sessile.
Distribution
Guianas present, northern S America present
Northern S America; one of the most common species in the Guianas; over 250 collections studied (GU: 130; SU: 36; FG: 98).
Common Name
English (French Guiana): akamikini, apoucou man limbe limbe; English (Suriname): ampuku wi, wetu njaisa
Notes
Seedlings often have a pale green band along the primary vein.
After having studied many recent collections that show a great variation in leaf shape, I cannot maintain a separate var. ramiflorum, based on leaf measures alone.
Piper hostmannianum can be distinguished from P. trichoneuron by indument characters. Hairs on veins below are appressed-pubescent in P. hostmannianum and crisp-pubescent in P. trichoneuron.
After having studied many recent collections that show a great variation in leaf shape, I cannot maintain a separate var. ramiflorum, based on leaf measures alone.
Piper hostmannianum can be distinguished from P. trichoneuron by indument characters. Hairs on veins below are appressed-pubescent in P. hostmannianum and crisp-pubescent in P. trichoneuron.