The World Flora Online

SELECTED REFERENCES

Candolle, C. de. 1869. Piperaceae. In: A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. de Candolle, eds. 1823-1873. Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis.... 17 vols. Paris etc. Vol. 16, part 1, pp. 235-471. Trelease, W. and T. G. Yuncker. 1950. The Piperaceae of Northern South America. 2 vols. Urbana.

Small trees, shrubs, or perennial or annual herbs , often rhizomatous, sometimes aromatic, glabrous, pubescent, or glandular-dotted, terrestrial or epiphytic. Stems simple or branched; vascular bundles in more than 1 ring or scattered. Leaves basal and/or cauline, alternate, opposite, or whorled, simple; stipules present, adnate to petiole; petioles usually present. Leaf blade: margins entire. Inflorescences terminal, opposite leaves, or axillary, spikes. Flowers bisexual; perianth absent, each flower subtended by peltate bract; stamens 2 - 6, hypogynous, anthers 2-locular; pistil 1, 1- or 3-4-carpellate; ovary 1-locular, superior; placentation basal; ovule 1; stigmas usually 3-4. Fruits drupelike. Seed 1; endosperm scanty; perisperm abundant; embryo minute.

Arbrisseaux, lianes ou herbes, à fleurs bisexuées ou rarement plantes dioïques, terrestres ou épiphytes, aromatiques, souvent rhizomateuses. Stipules présentes ou absentes. Feuilles alternes, opposées ou verticillées, simples, pétiolées ; limbe entier, penninervé, mais souvent palmatinervé à la base. Inflorescences terminales, axillaires, ou oppositifoliées, en épis ou en racèmes, généralement étroitement cylindriques ; bractées généralement peltées. Fleurs bisexuées ou rarement unisexuées ; périanthe absent ; étamines 1 à 6, libres, à anthère basifixe ; ovaire supère, avec 1 à 5 carpelles soudés, 1-loculaire, à 1 ovule orthotrope ; style simple ou absent, stigmates 1 à 5, capités, filiformes ou pénicillés. Fruits indéhiscents, souvent bacciformes ou drupiformes, à 1 graine. Graines au périsperme très développé et riches en matières nutritives ; embryon minuscule.

Famille incluse dans l’ordre des Piperales et dans le clade des Magnoliides (Chase & Reveal 2009). Autrefois à 2 genres multispécifiques, mais actuellement, APG III (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group 2009) reconnaît 5 genres, tandis que Wanke et al. (2007) en établit un 6e. Le nombre d’espèces serait de plus de 3600, à distribution pantropicale ; au Gabon, 2 genres et 10 espèces dont une naturalisée.

Arbustes , lianes ou herbes, à substances aromatiques et à goût piquant.'Feuilles'entières, alternes, opposées ou verticillées.'Épis'axillaires, terminaux ou opposés aux feuilles, solitaires ou groupés, cylindriques, denses, pouvant se transformer en grappes après la fécondation.'Fleurs'petites, nues, ♂, ♀ ou ☿, situées à l'aisselle d'une bractée généralement peltée abritant l'ovaire et les étamines avant leur maturité; étamines 1-6; ovaire à 1-6 carpelles, 1-loculaire, à 1 ovule orthotrope.'Baies ou drupes, en général peu charnues; graines à périsperme très développé et riches en réserves autour de l'embryon.\n\t\t\tFamille renfermant 2 des plus grands genres du règne végétal :'Piper'et'Peperomia , caractéristiques des forêts intertropicales où ils constituent, dans certaines régions, un élément important du sous-bois, mais dont le rôle au Congo belge est assez secondaire.

Leaves usually alternate, entire, rarely opposite or whorled, petiolate, stipules adnate to the petiole or absent Flowers minute, hermaphrodite or unisexual, usually densely spicate or spikes umbellate Stamens 2–6, hypogynous; filaments usually free; anthers 2-celled, distinct or confluent Herbs or shrubs, erect or scandent; vascular bundles more or less scattered, as in Monocotyledones Perianth absent Fruit baccate, small, with a succulent, thin or dry pericarp Ovary superior, 1-celled, 1-ovuled; stigmas 1–5, short; ovule erect Seeds small, with small endosperm and copious mealy perisperm; embryo very small Flowers minute, hermaphrodite or unisexual, usually densely spicate or spikes umbellate Stamens 2–6, hypogynous; filaments usually free; anthers 2-celled, distinct or confluent Herbs or shrubs, erect or scandent; vascular bundles more or less scattered, as in Monocotyledones Perianth absent Fruit baccate, small, with a succulent, thin or dry pericarp Ovary superior, 1-celled, 1-ovuled; stigmas 1–5, short; ovule erect Seeds small, with small endosperm and copious mealy perisperm; embryo very small

Stipules adnate to the petiole, or absent Stamens 2–6 (1–10); filaments thick, usually free; anthers 2-thecous, erect, distinct or confluent, basifixed or dorsifixed, dehiscing longitudinally Ovary superior, 1-locular, 1-ovulate; ovule basal, orthotropous, erect; styles 1–5 or absent; stigmas 1–5 capitate, linear or penicillate, central or excentric Fruit an indehiscent drupe (considered a berry by some authors) small, free, sessile or pedunculate with succulent or thin dry pericarps Seed ± globose, with little endosperm but copious perisperm; embryo very small Stems with distinct vascular bundles, sometimes scattered as in Monocotyledons, often with jointed and swollen nodes, and often ± zigzag Leaves usually alternate, less often opposite or verticillate, simple, entire, petiolate, thin to very succulent, often glandular-pellucid, pinnately or palmately nerved Annual or perennial, often succulent herbs with erect or creeping stems, sometimes epiphytic, or erect sometimes scrambling or climbing subshrubs or shrubs, or lianes, occasionally slender trees (not in the Flora Zambesiaca area), without latex, frequently aromatic; plants dioecious, monoecious or with hermaphrodite flowers Flowers minute, mostly hermaphrodite, sometimes unisexual or polygamous, each flower subtended by a minute bract; perianth absent Inflorescences terminal, axillary or leaf-opposed with flowers in simple, dense and ± fleshy spikes, more rarely in racemes or spikes grouped in umbels Stamens 2–6 (1–10); filaments thick, usually free; anthers 2-thecous, erect, distinct or confluent, basifixed or dorsifixed, dehiscing longitudinally Ovary superior, 1-locular, 1-ovulate; ovule basal, orthotropous, erect; styles 1–5 or absent; stigmas 1–5 capitate, linear or penicillate, central or excentric Fruit an indehiscent drupe (considered a berry by some authors) small, free, sessile or pedunculate with succulent or thin dry pericarps Seed ± globose, with little endosperm but copious perisperm; embryo very small Stems with distinct vascular bundles, sometimes scattered as in Monocotyledons, often with jointed and swollen nodes, and often ± zigzag Leaves usually alternate, less often opposite or verticillate, simple, entire, petiolate, thin to very succulent, often glandular-pellucid, pinnately or palmately nerved Annual or perennial, often succulent herbs with erect or creeping stems, sometimes epiphytic, or erect sometimes scrambling or climbing subshrubs or shrubs, or lianes, occasionally slender trees (not in the Flora Zambesiaca area), without latex, frequently aromatic; plants dioecious, monoecious or with hermaphrodite flowers Flowers minute, mostly hermaphrodite, sometimes unisexual or polygamous, each flower subtended by a minute bract; perianth absent Inflorescences terminal, axillary or leaf-opposed with flowers in simple, dense and ± fleshy spikes, more rarely in racemes or spikes grouped in umbels

Herbs, shrubs, or climbers, rarely trees, usually aromatic. Vascular bundles ± scattered in transverse section in a monocotyledonlike manner. Tip of stem sometimes enclosed within a stipulelike sheath, the prophyll, sometimes adnate to petiole, absent in Peperomia. Leaves alternate, often opposite or whorled in Peperomia, simple, base often asymmetric, palmately or pinnately veined. Inflorescence a pedunculate spike, rarely grouped into an umbel, rarely a raceme (in Zippelia), leaf-opposed or axillary, rarely terminal. Flowers small, bisexual, hermaphroditic, polygamous or dioecious, nearly always sessile; bracts small, usually peltate or cupular, usually without perianth. Stamens 1-10; filaments usually free; anthers 2-locular, distinct or connate, longitudinally dehiscent. Gynoecium 2-5-carpellate, connate; ovary superior, 1-locular, ovule 1, orthotropous; stigmas 1-5, sessile or with very short styles. Fruit a small drupe or nutlet; pericarp fleshy, thin or dry, sometimes with sticky papillae (in Peperomia) or glochidiate spines (in Zippelia). Seeds with copious starchy perisperm and a minute embryo embedded in small endosperm.