Piper peltatum L., Piperaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Pothomorphe peltata (L.) Miq.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: largeleaf fingertree

Spanish: cachimuela, cordoncillo, Santa María

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Plants erect, rather stout, herbaceous throughout or nearly so, generally about 1.5 meters high, sparsely branched, the stems minutely puberulent or almost wholly glabrous, succulent; leaves large, long-petiolate, the petioles broad, long-vaginate; leaf blades very thin, ovate-orbicular or almost orbicular, mostly 20-30 cm long, sometimes broader than long, abruptly acute at the rounded apex, shallowly cordate at the base or rounded, peltate far above the base, sparsely and minutely puberulent or almost glabrous, deep green above, paler and puncticulate beneath, palmate-nerved from the point of insertion, the principal nerve with usually 2 divergent nerves arising on each side above the base; common peduncle shorter than the petiole, 1-7 cm long, glabrous or sparsely puberulent, bearing 4-10 spikes, these on peduncles 7-12 mm long; spikes pale green, mostly 8-9 cm long, 3.5 mm thick, very obtuse, the bracts puberulent" (Standley & Steyermark, 1952; pp. 313-314).

Habitat/ecology:  In Guatemala, "Moist or wet, lowland forest or thickets, sometimes in second growth, 600 meters or lower" (Standley & Steyermark, 1952; pp. 313-314).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Southern Mexico, southward to Panama; West Indies" (Standley & Steyermark, 1952; pp. 313-314). Mexico, Central America and northern South America (GRIN)

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Isabela Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Sierra Negra, Isabela Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Additional online information about Piper peltatum is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Piper peltatum as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Piper peltatum may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Cardenas, Juan/Reys, Carlos E./Doll, Jerry D./Pardo, Fernando. 1972. Tropical weeds; malezas tropicales, vol. 1. International Plant Protection Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis. 341 pp.

Charles Darwin Foundation. 2008. Database inventory of introduced plant species in the rural and urban zones of Galapagos. Charles Darwin Foundation, Galapagos, Ecuador.

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

Standley, Paul C./Steyermark, Julian A. 1952. Flora of Guatemala. Fieldiana: Botany. Vol. 24, Part III. Chicago Natural History Museum. 432 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.