Peperomia tetraphylla

Primary tabs

Peperomia tetraphylla

Description

Epiphytic or rarely epilithic herb, cespitose or rooting at nodes and ascending. Stem to 25 cm long, minutely pubescent, green. Leaves in whorls of 4, basely attached; petiole 0.05-0.2 cm long, minutely pubescent; blade fleshy to subcoriaceous, rhombic, ovate-elliptic to suborbicular, 0.6-1.2 x 0.4-1.0 cm, apex obtuse, rounded or emarginate, base obtuse to subacute, somewhat ciliate towards apex and sparsely puberulent to glabrous; obsoletely palmately 3-veined. Inflorescence terminal, solitary; peduncle to 2 cm long, minutely pubescent, green; spike up to 4 cm long, cream-white; rachis pubescent; floral bracts rounded, glabrous, glandular. Fruits basely attached in depressions of rachis, narrowly ovoid to ellipsoid-subcylindrical, apex with short beak and subapical stigma.

Distribution

Pantropical present
Pantropical; 4 collections studied (GU: 1).

Notes

Dietrich's new combination is illegitimate because of the earlier Peperomia reflexa Kunth (Nov. Gen. Sp. ed. qu. 70. 1816) which is a different species.
Peperomia tetraphylla is easily recognizable by the hairy rachis of the spikes and the fruits being sunken in the rachis.
The collection of Im Thurn mentioned above, although sterile, belongs to the species. This Im Thurn collection has been mounted on one sheet with three Brazilian Glaziou collections, two of which also belong to P. tetraphylla, the third, however, to a different species.