Peperomia
Peperomia camptotricha
Miq.
The genus Peperomia belongs to the Piperaceae family and gathers about 1 000 species coming from tropical and subtropical regions, mainly in America. Our collection presents about 100 species.
Peperomias are terrestrial or epiphytic herbaceous –sometimes succulent – plants with rising or crawling stems; they are sometimes in association with tree dwelling ant’s nests.
Peperomia dahlstedtii
C. DC.
The leaves are alternate, opposite or verticillate, unstipulate, more or less fleshy and often with glandular punctuations. The flowers are discrete, the inflorescence is divided in cylindrical spikes that are alone or gathered in panicles or umbels.
Each flower is composed of two stamens and one ovary without any petal or sepal, it starts at the bottom of a very small mushroom-shaped leave : the bract. In general these flowers are hermaphrodite (male and female at the same time) but it happens that one of the two organs aborts.
Peperomia puteolata
Trel.
Peperomias are often used as interior plants for their attracting leaves (Peperomia caperata, Peperomia obtusifolia…)
In peperomias’ former country, people eat the young leaves of some species such as Peperomia vividispica or use other species in local medicines : Peperomia pellucida, which is eaten in salads, is one of the principal creole medication. The Wayapi indians from Guyana use the sap of Peperomia rotundifolia’s leaves to make drops to heal earaches .