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Peperomia pubirhachis

Peperomia pubirhachis is a species of epiphyte in the genus Peperomia that is endemic in Colombia. It grows on wet tropical biomes. Its conservation status is Threatened.

Description

The type specimen where collected in San Francisco, Colombia.

Peperomia pubirhachis is a medium-sized, creeping, ascending herb with stems and petioles red when living. The stem is 4 mm thick below, ascending to 20 cm or more, with internodes 1–3 cm long, densely covered with soft white hairs up to 2–3 mm long. The alternate leaves are round-ovate, measuring 4–7 cm wide by 4.5–8 cm long, with obtuse apex and cordate base, densely appressed-hairy on both sides and fringed with hairs along the margin. They are palmately 9-nerved with the laterals moderately forked upward, drying dark and somewhat opaque. The petioles reach up to 8 cm long and are densely hairy. The spikes are young at the time of description, 8 cm long, terminal and in the axils of much reduced leaves on sympodial branches 5–8 cm long, moderately flowered. The peduncle is 5 cm long and hairy; the rachis is finely hairy. The bracts are round-peltate with red glandular dots. The ovary is govary with apical stigma. Fruit was not matured.

The densely villous stems and petioles with long white hairs up to 2–3 mm, the long-petiolate round-ovate leaves (petioles up to 8 cm) that are densely appressed-hairy on both sides and ciliate, and especially the puberulent (finely hairy) rachis of the spikes set this species apart.

Taxonomy and naming

It was described in 1950 by Truman G. Yuncker in ', from specimens collected by García Barriga. It got its name from description of the species, which literally translates to hairy rachis.

Distribution and habitat

It is endemic in Colombia. It grows on a epiphyte environment and is a herb. In Colombia, its elevation range is 1550 meters. It grows on wet tropical biomes.

Conservation

This species is assessed as Threatened, in a preliminary report.

References