Peperomia pellucida (L.) Kunth, Piperaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: podpod-lahe, potpopot

Chinese: cao hu jiao

Chuukese: pukuson

English: peperomia, pepper elder, rat's ear, shiny bush, silverbush

Palauan: rtertiil

Pohnpeian: sekewenleng

Samoan: vao vai

Sonsorolese: rum

Spanish: alumbre, coclaria, frescura, garrapatilla, parietaria, plataria, siempreviva

Yapese: makel ni pan, opul kongkong

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Annual herbs with fibrous roots; stems translucent pale green, erect or ascending, usually 15-45 cm long, internodes usually 3-8 cm long, glabrous.  Leaves medium green on upper surface, lower surface whitish green, thinly fleshy, drying papery, broadly ovate, 1.5-4 (-5) cm long, 1-3.3 cm wide, palmately 3-nerved or 5-nerved, glabrous, apex acuminate, base subcordate to truncate, petioles 0.5-2 (-3) cm long, glabrous. Spikes 1 to several, terminal and axillary or leaf-opposed, filiform, ca. 3-6 cm long, the rachis ca. 0.4-0.6 mm in diameter, glabrous, flowers well-spaced, peduncles ca. 0.6-1 cm long, glabrous; ovary ovoid; stigmas terminal.  Fruit subglobose, ca. 0.5 mm long, longitudinally ridged, apex beaked"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1034).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "occasionally cultivated and sparingly naturalized" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1034).  In Fiji, "occurring at elevations of sea level to about 400 m as a weed along roadsides, in plantations, on damp ground in shady places near houses, and occasionally along forest trails" (Smith, 1981; p. 89).  In Samoa, "occasional in croplands and waste places" (Whistler, 1988; p. 33). In New Guinea, "a weed of gardens, nurseries and plantations, in damp shady conditions; only troublesome where large weeds have been eliminated, leaving bare ground. From sea level to 700 m" (Henty & Pritchard, 1975; p. 133).  In China, "wet places within forests, rock crevices, bases of cliffs, sometimes a weed of cultivation; near sea level to 200 m"  (Flora of China online).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Tropical America, but now widely cultivated and naturalized throughout the tropics (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1034).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Manu‘a Islands	introduced invasive	Whistler, W. A. (1990) (p. 18)
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Ofu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2001) (voucher ID: PTBG 35340) Taxon name on voucher: Peperomia pellucida (L.) Kunth
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Ta‘u Island	introduced	Ragone, Diane/Lorence, David H. (2003) (p. 52)
American Samoa Tutuila Islands	Tutuila Island		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 95)
American Samoa Tutuila Islands	Tutuila Island		Anon. (1988) (p. 2)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Dublon (Tonowas) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (pp. 47-48)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Tol Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (pp. 47-48)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Ulalu (Romonum) Island		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (pp. 47-48)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy (2010) (p. 22) Naturalized
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1946) (voucher ID: PTBG 24269) Taxon name on voucher: Peperomia pellucida
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1996) (voucher ID: PTBG 24885) Taxon name on voucher: Peperomia pellucida (L.) HBK
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (pp. 47-48)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Glassman, S. F. (1952) (p. 54) Voucher cited: Glassman 2584 (US)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced invasive	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 122) Vouchers cited: E. Albert 96 (NY, PTBG), A. Dores 8 (BISH, NY, PTBG), A. Dores 120 (NY, PTBG), B. Ekiek 34 (BISH, NY, PTBG), T.W. Flynn 6220 (BISH, NY, PTBG, US), R. Gallen 111 (NY, PTBG), S.F. Glassman 2584 (BISH), P. Raynor 17 (NY), F. Sohl 20 (NY, PTBG) Naturalized
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1997) (voucher ID: PTBG 24605) Taxon name on voucher: Peperomia pellucida (L.) Kunth.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1999) (voucher ID: PTBG 34923) Taxon name on voucher: Peperomia pellucida (L.) Kunth.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2001) (voucher ID: PTBG 39145) Taxon name on voucher: Peperomia pellucida
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2003) (voucher ID: PTBG 43623) Taxon name on voucher: Peperomia pellucida
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 46221) Taxon name on voucher: Peperomia pellucida
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2004) (voucher ID: PTBG 46338) Taxon name on voucher: Peperomia pellucida
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2006) (voucher ID: PTBG 47516) Taxon name on voucher: Peperomia pellucida
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Eauripik Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (pp. 47-48)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (pp. 47-48)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Taveuni Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (pp. 89-90) Voucher cited: DA 8883
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (pp. 89-90) Voucher cited: Greenwood 562
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (pp. 89-90) Vouchers cited: Greenwood 562A, Parks 20301, Meebold 16869, Degener & Ordonez 13670, DA 11054, DA 11228, DA 12222
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Fatu Hiva Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2003) (voucher ID: PTBG 39364) Taxon name on voucher: Peperomia pellucida
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Adventice
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 216) Voucher cited: BRY 26502
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 216) Vouchers cited: Florence 2684, Sachet & Maclet 1041, BRY 26328
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 185-186)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Adventice
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1981) (voucher ID: PTBG 38213) Taxon name on voucher: Peperomia pellucida
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Makatea (Ma‘atea) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 185-186)
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Makatea (Ma‘atea) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Adventice
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced invasive	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 244)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (pp. 47-48)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1034) Voucher cited: Degener & Wiebke 2685 (BISH)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Jaluit (Jãlwõj) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (pp. 47-48)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 115) Rare, possibly extirpated.
Nauru Nauru Island	Nauru Island	introduced invasive	Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. (1994) (p. 181) Weed of pot plants. Voucher cited: Thaman & Manner 7 (SUVA)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate (2004) (p. 45)
Palau Kayangel Atoll	Kayangel Islet	introduced invasive	Miles, Joel (2015) (p. 2) ref cites other taxa as "Cultivated," but not this one, so implication is that this taxon was found in a non-cultivated situation (PT@PhilipT.com/20170602)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Angaur (Ngeaur) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (pp. 47-48)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Angaur (Ngeaur) Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 104)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (pp. 47-48)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 102)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 64)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1982) (voucher ID: BNM 3177) Taxon name on voucher: Peperomia pellucida (L.) HBK.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1978) (voucher ID: BNM 982) Taxon name on voucher: Peperomia pellucida (L.) HBK.
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Kayangel (Ngcheangel) Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 8) Voucher: Lorence 9797 (PTBG, BNM, NY)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Kayangel (Ngcheangel) Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2008) (voucher ID: PTBG 90) Taxon name on voucher: Peperomia pellucida
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (pp. 47-48)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 98)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Malakal (Ngemelachel) Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 98)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Ngerkebesang Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 98)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Ngerkebesang Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1991) (voucher ID: BNM 9563) Taxon name on voucher: Peperomia pellucida (L.) HBK
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Peleliu (Beliliou) Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 106)
Palau Sonsorol Group	Sonsorol Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (pp. 47-48)
Palau Sonsorol Group	Sonsorol Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 109)
Papua New Guinea Bismarck Archipelago	Bismarck Archipelago		Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty] (1984) (p. 123) Common in damp, shady places; in vegetable gardens, under outer steps of verandahs.
Papua New Guinea Bougainville Islands	Bougainville Island		Foreman, D. B. (1971) (p. 53)
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	introduced invasive	Henty, E. E./Pritchard, G. H. (1975) (p. 133) From sea level to 700 m.
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 272)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 20) Common in the rainy season on and about damp walls in towns and now widely distributed.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Western Samoa Islands		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 33)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 95)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 98)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Vanuatu (Republic of)		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 95)
Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands	Wallis (‘Uvea) Island	introduced invasive	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2007) (p. 37)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory	introduced invasive	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 187)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 187)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 272)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced invasive	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013)
China China	Hong Kong	introduced invasive	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 48) In wet places and on walls.
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 272)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Pallawatta, Nirmalie/Reaser, Jamie K./Gutierrez, Alixis T./eds. (2003) (p. 89)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 68) Naturalised
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 272)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1993) (p. 19)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Cousin Island	introduced invasive	Fosberg, F. R. (1983) (p. 33)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Frégate Island		Robertson, S. A./Todd, D. M. (1983) (p. 57) Vouchers cited: Jeffrey 1174, Todd 51
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Peperomia pellucida, please let us know.