Peperomia species

Monteiro, Daniele, Leitman, Paula & Coelho, Macielle M., 2016, Two new Peperomia (Piperaceae) species from Southern Bahia, Brazil, Phytotaxa 258 (3), pp. 287-294 : 292-293

Key for Peperomia species from montane forests of Southern Bahia

1. Alternate leaves ................................................................................................................................................................................. 2

- Opposite or whorled leaves ............................................................................................................................................................. 21

2. Plant glabrous, except for a line of trichomes on the petiole or on leaf margin ............................................................................... 3

- Plant bearing trichomes...................................................................................................................................................................11

3. Winged branch .................................................................................................................................................. P. alata Ruiz & Pav.

- Cylindrical branch ............................................................................................................................................................................ 4

4. Leaf blade with obtuse to round apex, sometimes emarginate ......................................................................................................... 5

- Leaf blade with acute to acuminate apex, non emarginate ............................................................................................................... 6

5. Peduncle glabrous; spikes 2–7 together, more than 15 cm long ................................................... P. magnoliifolia (Jacq.) A. Dietr.

- Peduncle hirtellous; spikes solitary or paired, up to 13 cm long ............................................................ P. obtusifolia (L.) A. Dietr.

6. Leaf blade with whitish, star-shaped stains on the adaxial surface ............................................. P. macrostachyos (Vahl.) A. Dietr.

- Leaf blade without star-shaped stains ............................................................................................................................................... 7

7. Leaves up to 6 cm long, dark-glandulous ................................................................................................. P. glabella (Sw.) A. Dietr.

- Leaves with more than 6 cm long, yellow or brown-glandulous ..................................................................................................... 8

8. Leaf blade coriaceous; inflorescence arranged in panicles of spikes (up to 22 spikes) .............................. P. pernambucensis Miq.

- Leaf blade membranaceous or chartaceous; inflorescence arranged in spikes (solitary-3) ............................................................. 9

9. Leaf blade chartaceous, whole margin densely pilose; venation pinnate; fruit apex rostrate ............................................................ ....................................................................................................................................... P. epipremnifolia D. Monteiro & Leitman

- Leaf blade membranaceous, margin glabrous; venation campylodromous; fruit with mamiliform apex ....................................... 10

10. Petiole and spikes up to 8 cm long ............................................................................................................... P. serpentarioides Miq.

- Petiole and spikes more than 8 cm long .................................................................................................................. P. arifolia Miq.

11. Branch hirtellous, hirsute or glabrescent ........................................................................................................................................ 12

- Branch pubescent or villous ........................................................................................................................................................... 16

12. Leaves up to 3 cm long ................................................................................................................................................................... 13

- Leaves more than 3 cm long ........................................................................................................................................................... 15

13. Branch hirtellous; fruits sessile, with basal pseudocupule ........................................................................... P. corcovadensis Gardner

- Branch hirsute to glabrescent; fruit pedicellate, without basal pseudocupule ................................................................................ 14

14. Leaf blade ovate to ovate-lanceolate; raceme 2,5–4,5 cm long ............................................................................ P. tenella (Sw.) A. Dietr.

- Leaf blade round-obovate; raceme 1–2 cm long ................................................................................... P. emarginella (Sw.) C.DC.

15. Leaf blade ovate, with round and peltate base ........................................................................... P. hernandiifolia (Vahl.) A. Dietr.

- Leaf blade lanceolate-elliptical, with base acute, non-peltate ............................................................................. P. elongata Kunth

16. Leaf blade elliptical, with acute base ............................................................................................................................................. 17

- Leaf blade ovate or rounded, with obtuse, rounded or cordate base .............................................................................................. 18

17. Spikes up to 2 cm long; fruit with basal pseudocupule and acute apex ............................................... P. pseudoestrellensis C.DC.

- Spikes more than 2 cm long; fruits without basal pseudocupule and oblique apex ............................................ P. pilicaulis C.DC.

18. Leaf blade orbicular, up to 1 cm wide .................................................................................................... P. rotundifolia (L.) Kunth

- Leaf blade ovate, more than 1 cm wide .......................................................................................................................................... 19

19. Leaf blade with 9 basal veins; spikes more than 5 cm long; fruits globose with mamiliform apex ................................................... ....................................................................................................................................... P. sulbahiensis D. Monteiro & M. Coelho

19. Leaf blade with 3–5 basal veins; spikes up to 5 cm long; fruits ellipsoid with rostrate apex .............................................................. 20

20. Leaf blade with 3 basal veins, up to 2 cm long ......................................................................................... P. serpens (Sw.) Loudon

- Leaf blade with 5 basal veins, more than 2.5 cm long .................................................................. P. urocarpa Fisch. & C.A. Mey.

21. Leaves opposite (occasionally 3- whorled) .................................................................................................................................... 22

- Leaves 4–5 whorled ........................................................................................................................................................................ 23

22. Leaf blade up to 1 cm long, margin and adaxial surface pubescent; fruit with basal pseudocupule ............. P. delicatula Henchen

- Leaf blade more than 2 cm long, villous on both surfaces; fruit without basal pseudocupule .................. P. blanda (Jacq.) Kunth

23. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, more than 5 cm long, glabrous; spikes 7–18 cm long, rachis glabrous. P. rubricaulis (Ness.) A. Dietr.

- Leaves rhombic, up to 2 cm long, hirtous; spikes 1–3 cm long, rachis pilose ...................................... P. tetraphylla Hook & Arn.