Piper divaricatum
Content
Description
Shrub, subshrub or treelet, sometimes scandent, to 3 m tall. Stem glabrous. Petiole 1-2.2 cm long, vaginate or grooved to apex; blade coriaceous, drying shiny or membranous, dark glandular-dotted on both sides, rhombic, somewhat asymmetric, 10-20 x 3-8 cm, apex acute to acuminate, base almost equal, obtuse or acute, glabrous; pinnately veined, secondary veins 4-6 per side, originating from lower 3/4 of primary vein, at a wide angle and abruptly curving upward, not anastomosing, shallowly or deeply impressed above, prominulous to prominent below, tertiary veins reticulate, slightly prominulous or inconspicuous. Inflorescence usually pendent; peduncle 0.5-0.8(-1.5) cm long, glabrous; spike 3-6 cm long, whitish, pale yellow or green, apiculate; floral bracts marginally fringed. Infructescence 6 x 1 cm (when dried); fruits obovoid, 1-2 mm thick, glabrous, becoming exserted, stigmas 3, sessile.
Distribution
Guianas present, Southern America: Bolivia (Bolivia present); Brazil North (Amapá present, Amazonas present, Pará present), W Venezuela present
W Venezuela, the Guianas, Brazil (Amazonas, Pará and Amapá) and Bolivia; over 80 collections studied (GU: 20; SU: 42; FG: 15).
Notes
In a personal communication, Callejas informed me that in the Western range of the species the fruits can be densely pubescent.
Trelease & Yuncker (1950: 227) mention in synonymy of P. divaricatum: "? Piper praemorsum Rottb. ex Vahl". This was validly published in Eclog. Amer. 1: 4. 1797. No type is known for P. praemorsum; according to Rottbøll, it was collected in Suriname by Rolander. If this species really would appear to be a synonym of P. divaricatum, P. praemorsum would have to replace P. divaricatum.
Trelease & Yuncker (1950: 227) mention in synonymy of P. divaricatum: "? Piper praemorsum Rottb. ex Vahl". This was validly published in Eclog. Amer. 1: 4. 1797. No type is known for P. praemorsum; according to Rottbøll, it was collected in Suriname by Rolander. If this species really would appear to be a synonym of P. divaricatum, P. praemorsum would have to replace P. divaricatum.