Piper trichoneuron

Primary tabs

Piper trichoneuron

Description

Shrub, sometimes treelet, to 2 m tall. Stem crisp-pubescent. Stipules late deciduous. Petiole often stout, to 1 cm long, densely crisp-pubescent, vaginate to apex; blade sometimes with pale band along primary vein, coriaceous, more or less orange glandular-dotted on lower surface, sometimes somewhat scabrous, (narrowly) elliptic, elliptic-oblong or (narrowly) ovate, 12-33 x 5-13 cm, apex (long-)acuminate, base equal or unequally attached to petiole difference 0-0.5 cm, obtuse to rounded to subcordate occasionally cuneate, glabrous above, crisp-pubescent on veins below; pinnately veined, secondary veins 4-7(-11) per side, originating from lower 1/2 to 2/3 of primary vein, not anastomosing, impressed above, rather prominent below, tertiary veins widely reticulate, transverse. Inflorescence erect; peduncle 1 cm long to ca. 2 cm in fruit, pubescent; spike 8-9 cm long, in fruit to 11 cm long, often reddish or pink, apiculate; floral bracts densely marginally fringed. Fruits oblongoid, glandular, hirsute, stigmas 3, obtuse, sessile.

Distribution

Guianas present, Southern America
The Guianas and Brazil (Acre); over 110 collections studied (GU: 29; SU: 28; FG: 56).

Notes

The leaf base of Piper trichoneuron is very variable in shape. Piper trichoneuron and P. hostmannianum resemble each other in having pubescent, coriaceous leaves. See also note to P. hostmannianum.
Tebbs (1993: 44) includes P. gleasonii in P. jacquemontianum, a C American species. In my opinion P. gleasonii is similar to P. trichoneuron and thus I include it under the latter.