Sanjeet Kumar
Ravenshaw University
sanjeet.biotech@gmail.com
Ravenshaw University
sanjeet.biotech@gmail.com
Piperaceae
The Piperaceae, also known as the
pepper family. The group contains roughly 3,610 currently accepted species in
five genera. Members of the Piperaceae may be small trees, shrubs or herbs.
Genera
Subfamily Verhuellioideae
Samain & Wanke
- Verhuellia Miquel
1843 (3 species)
Subfamily Zippelioideae
Samain & Wanke
Subfamily Piperoideae
Arnott
Major species in India
1.
Piper longum
2.
Piper peepuloides
3.
Piper chaba
4.
Piper betle
5.
Piper nigrum
6.
Piper attenuatum
7.
Peperomia reflexa
8.
Peperomia pellucid
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.
Genera 15, species 2000 (2 genera, 9 species in the flora):
primarily tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.
Lepianthes peltata (Linnaeus) Rafinesque, a soft-wooded
shrub to ca. 2 m, included by some authors in Piper or Pothomorphe, has been
collected as "growing wild" in Dade County, Florida (A. Herndon,
pers. comm.). Lepianthes differs from Piper by its erect habit, by having
axillary inflorescences, and by the spikes arranged in umbels.
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