Piper dumosum

Primary tabs

Piper dumosum

Description

Shrub or treelet to 3 m tall. Stem glabrous, densely dark glandular-dotted. Stipules large 3 x 1.5 cm, early caducous. Petiole 0.5-2(to 6 in fertile twigs) cm long, dark-villous (hairs at least 1 mm long), vaginate to middle, green to reddish; blade may be somewhat bullate in vivo, glandular-dotted, lance-elliptic to ovate to broadly ovate, 18-22(-27) x 5.5-7.5(-17) cm, apex short-acuminate, base equal or almost equally attached to petiole, acute, truncate to subcordate, sparsely villous above, more densely so below; pinnately veined, secondary veins 5-6 per side, originating from lower 3/4 of primary vein. Inflorescence pendent; peduncle 1-1.2 cm long, slender, glabrous, green to reddish; spike 5-8 cm long, white, yellowish to green, not apiculate; floral bracts densely marginally fringed. Fruits obovoid to trigonous, glabrous, depressed at apex when dried, stigmas 3, erect.

Distribution

Guianas present, Southern America
The Guianas and adjacent Brazil; over 70 collections studied (GU: 1; SU: 3; FG: 62).

Common Name

English (French Guiana): yakamilepia, yalitaku?ã

Notes

Easily recognizable by the glabrous stem and sparsely villous leaves and peduncles; very densely dark-glandular-dotted all over.