Peperomia blanda var. floribunda (Miq.) H.Huber

Piperaceae

Huber, H. in Dassanayake, M.D. & Fosberg, F.R. (1988) A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon 6: 294.

Succulent herb up to 30 cm tall with erect stems becoming decumbent and rooting at the nodes, with sparse to dense trichomes; internodes up to 22 mm long and 6 mm diam.

Leaves opposite, rarely whorled, petiolate; lamina 25-50 x 12-23 mm, 5-nerved with only the midrib and 2 major lateral nerves prominent, surface with short hairs but denser on the veins; petiole 5-17 mm long with sparse to dense trichomes.

Inflorescence a terminal spike in the upper axils, up to 13 cm long; peduncle 5-15 x 1.2-1.5 mm,with sparse trichomes; fertile axies 30-115 x 1.7-1.8 mm, glabrous. Flowers not sunken into the axis,1.4-2 mm apart; floral bracts rounded, 0.6-0.9 x 0.7-0.8 mm. Ovary rounded, ca. 0.4 x 0.4 mm.

Drupes sticky, papillate, dark brown, ca. 0.6-0.7 mm long and wide.

Features not available.

Occurs in the CYP, NEQ, CEQ and southwards to south eastern New South Wales. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 1030 m. Grows on moss covered rocks and on tree trunks in the shade of rainforest, notophyll vineforest, sclerophyll forest, Eucalypt forest and deciduous vine thicket. Also from Africa, India, Malesia and Melanesia.

Peperomia arabica var. floribunda Miq., Systema Piperacearum : 121(1843). Peperomia reflexa var. valantoides (Miq.) C.DC., Prodromus 16(1): 452(1869). Peperomia blanda var. leptostachya (Hook. & Arn.) Dull, Botanische Jahrbucher fur Systematik 93: 110(1973). Peperomia valantoides Miq., Systema Piperacearum : 174(1843). Peperomia baueriana var. brisbaniana C.DC., Prodromus 16(1): 414(1869), Type: Ad Brisbane flum. (Ferd. Muller! in h. Kew.). Peperomia leptostachya var. laxiflora Miq., De Piperaceis Novae Hollandiae : 6(1866), Type: Nascitur in Nova Hollandia orientali, in regione fluminis Pine-river, m. Iulio: F. MUELLER. Peperomia leptostachya Hook. & Arn., The Botany of Captain Beechey's Voyage 2: 96(1832), Type: not cited.