Peperomia pellucida (L.) Kunth

Habit

Herb

Family Description

Small herbs or shrubs, often climbing, nodes often swollen. Leaves simple, alternate, opposite or whorled, entire, usually palmately veined at base, rarely pinnately veined; stipules present or absent, often adnate to petiole, caducous. Flowers in terminal or leaf-opposed spikes, unisexual or bisxual, minute, much reduced, borne in axils of peltate or basifixed bracts. Perianth absent. Male flowers with 2-4stamens, anther-cells 2, sometimes becoming confluent by dehiscence, sessile or on short filament. Female flowers with superior 1-celled ovary; stigma sessile, brush-like or with 3-5, simple, recurved branches, ovule 1. Fruit a drupe, free or sometimes becoming coherent in a fleshy spike.

Genus Description

Small succulent herbs. Leaves alternate, opposite or whorled, palmately 3-5-veined from base or pinnately veined, pellucid-dotted, exstipulate. Flowers bisexual, in axil of peltate bract. Stamens 2, very short, anther cells horizontal, reniform, placed side-by-side. Ovary minute with 1 brush-like stigma. Drupes minute, sessile.

Species description

Succulent creeping or wrect herb15-40cm, glabrous throughtout. Leaves thin, broadly ovate, 1.5-3 x 1-3cm, acute, base cordate, palmately 5-veined from base. Spikes 2.5-5cm, terminal and leaf-opposed. Drups0.5mm.