A family of four genera and about 2000 species, pantropic; two or three genera occur naturally in Australia.

Peperomia - A genus of over 1000 species with a pantropic distribution but with centres of diversity in Central and South America; five native and one naturalised in Australia. Forster (1993); Spokes (2007).

Piper - A genus of about 2000 species, pantropic; about 9 species occur naturally in Australia. Bailey (1901); Stanley & Ross (1983).

Bailey, F.M. (1901). Piperaceae. In 'The Queensland Flora.' Vol. IV, (H.J. Diddams: Brisbane.), pp. 1283-1285.

Bostock, P.D. & Forster, P.I. (1995). Distribution, habitat and conservation status of Peperomia bellendenkerensis (Piperaceae), a rare endemic from the 'wet tropics' of north-eastern Queensland. Austrobaileya 4: 449-450.

Du Puy, D.J. (1993). Flora of Australia 50: 75.

Forster, P.I. (1993). A taxonomic revision of the genus Peperomia Ruiz & Pav. (Piperaceae) in mainland Australia. Austrobaileya 4:93-104.

Forster, P.I. (1999). Peperomia hunteriana (Piperaceae) , a new species from the 'Wet Tropics' of north-eastern Queensland. Austrobaileya 5:573-575.

Green, P.S. (1994). Flora of Australia 49: 49.

Spokes, T.M. & Forster, P.I. (2007). Flora of Australia 2: 232-244.

Stanley, T.D. & Ross, E.M. (1983). Piperaceae. In 'Flora of south-eastern Queensland.' Vol. 1, (Queensland Department of Primary Industries: Brisbane.), p. 182.