Peperomia parastriata G.Mathieu, 2015

Mathieu, Guido, Vergara-Rodríguez, Daniela, Krömer, Thorsten & Karger, Dirk Nicolaus, 2015, Peperomia (Piperaceae) novelties from Veracruz State, Mexico, Phytotaxa 205 (4), pp. 268-276 : 272-273

Peperomia parastriata G.Mathieu , spec. nov. ( Fig. 1 (D, E, F), 3).

Peperomia striata Ruiz & Pav. simile, ab ea differt omnino glabra, inflorescentia condensata, internodorum petiolorumque colore rubro-purpureo non striato. Type:— MEXICO. Veracruz State, mun. Uxpanapa, Ejido Alvaro Obregon, road La Chinantla–Nuevo Acapulco, 17°18’N, 94°23’W, 80 m, 7 Jan. 2010, T. Krömer et al. 3872 (holotype BR!, isotypes, GENT!, MEXU!, MO!, XAL!).

Perennial herb, up to 40 cm tall, lithophytic or epiphytic. Stem simple, erect but basally decumbent, rooting from the basal nodes, to 1 cm diam. at the base, internodes 1–2 cm long, glabrous, often red-purplish, leaf scars distinct. Leaves alternate, petioles 2–6 cm long, sulcate, glabrous, often red-purplish, lamina somewhat carnose when fresh, drying coriaceous, elliptic or a little obovate, length 15–20 cm, width 4–9(–10) cm, base cuneate, often asymmetrical, apex acuminate, both sides glabrous, pinnately nerved, central nerve protruding abaxially, secondary nerves branching at an angle of 20–30° from central nerve. Inflorescence compound, primary flowering axis, being the prolongation of the stem, 15–20 cm long, bearing 3–8 bracteoles 1–3(–4) cm distant, 10–12 mm long, secondary axes from the axils of the bracteoles, (0.5–)–1.5–2(–4) cm long, sometimes tertiary axes present, 1–2 cm long, also from the axil of bracteoles, the bracteoles early deciduous, spadices from the primary, secondary and tertiary axes (1–)2–8(–12) in total, peduncle 0.2–0.7 cm long, rachis 2–5(–7) cm long, flowers densely disposed. Floral bract orbicular, sessile, adhering to the rachis, yellow-orange glandular dotted. Ovary ellipsoid, style with scutelliform stigmatal plateau, the plateau glandular dotted and making an angle of ca. 45° with the axis of the fruit body, distinct beak adaxially of the central stigma. Stamens with short filaments (subsessile). Anthers ca. 0.3 mm long, drying creamy whitish. Fruit ellipsoid, base sunken in rachis, pericarp sticky papillate entirely or mainly at the base.

Etymology— The specific epithet refers to the resemblance of the species with Peperomia striata Ruiz & Pavón (1798: 32) . Both species are robust plants with leaves similar in shape and size and show compound inflorescences with similar architecture. P. striata is a widespread species occurring from Bolivia up to Guatemala but apparently not in Mexico.

Distribution, habitat and IUCN Red List category— Peperomia parastriata seems to be restricted to southeastern Mexico (Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz). Reported elevations range from 120–1,100 m. It grows terrestrial usually on limestone or epiphytically at the base of tree trunks. The species is considered as endemic to Mexico and is classified as Least Concerned (LC), because it is reported from many locations from the Uxpanapa region in Veracruz, and is also registered by some recent collections from the neighboring states Chiapas and Oaxaca.

Relationships— Peperomia parastriata differs from P. striata especially in the condensed inflorescences. This is mainly due to the short rachis (max. 7 cm) in P. parastriata (versus up to 20 cm in P. striata ). Also the shorter internodes (1–2(–4) cm) of the compound inflorescence (versus (2–6(–7) cm in P. striata ) and the larger number of grouped spadices contribute to the condensed appearance. The leaves of both species are similar in size and shape. However, also in vegetative stage P. parastriata is easily distinguished because all its parts are glabrous. The redpurple colour of internodes and petioles is evenly distributed in P. parastriata and differs from the striped-spotted aspect in P. striata . Although P. parastriata is a robust plant, it is usually smaller than P. striata that can grow as tall as 1 m.

Additional specimens studied— MEXICO. Chiapas State, mun. Ocozocoautla de Espinosa, 24 km N of Ocozocoautla along road to Mal Paso , 880 m, 12 Jun. 1965, D. Breedlove 10373 ( F!) ; Reserva del Ocote , NW of Rancho Corocito, La Cueva, 770 m, 29 Apr. 1983, J. Calzada et al. 9714 ( XAL!) ; between El Refugio and Rancho Aguajito, 12–13 May 1949, M. Carlson 2102 ( NY!) ; 32 km N of Ocozocoautla, along gravel road to Apic Pac, near km mark 31, 700 m, 9 Jul. 1977, T. Croat 40658 ( BM!, MEXU!) ; road Cipres–Horizonte , 1100 m, 11 Jun. 1983, F. Vazquez 984 ( XAL!) ; road Berriozábal–Vista Hermosa–El Cairo, km 12 detour to Berriozábal, Pozo Turipache , 93°19’51.9”N, 16”51”43.6” W, 1100 m, 3 Jun. 2011, A. Ortíz 141 ( HEM!) . Oaxaca State, mun. San Pedro Teutila, El Faro, tower 121 of the electrical line Temascal II— Oaxaca Potencia , 96°37’08.9”N, 18°00’37.8”W, 639 m, 8 Apr. 2005, C. Angel Cruz 2703 ( MEXU!) ; Piedra Ancha, tower 120 of the electrical line Temascal II— Oaxaca Potencia , 1 km S of Piedra Ancha , 96°37’01.3”N, 18°00’43.5”W, 488 m, 7 Apr. 2005, G. Juárez 1655 ( MEXU!) ; mun. Santa Maria Jacatepec, La Joya del Obispo, ca. 10 km E of Rancho El Tochero, 1 Jan. 2001, C. Ramos & E. Martínez 689 ( MEXU!) . Veracruz State, mun. Coetzala , 1 km E of Coetzala, 18°46”50” N, 96°54’52”W, 650 m, 12 Apr. 2000, A. Rincón 1523 ( XAL!) ; mun. Hidalgotitlán, Alvaro Obregon , 130–150 m, 14 Apr. 1974, J. Dorantes et al. 2803 ( XAL!) ; 2 km S of Campo Cedillo, Rio Alegra by E deviation, 140 m, 22 Apr. 1974, J. Dorantes et al. 2928 ( XAL!) ; 0–3 km on road Cedillo–La Laguna , 140 m, 10 May 1974, J. Dorantes et al. 3023 ( XAL!) ; N of Campamento La Laguna, E of Río Cuevas, 17°17’15”N, 94°30’45”W, 125 m, 27 Apr. 1982, T. Wendt & A. Villalobos 3901 ( F!, total number of duplicates mentioned: 4) ; mun. Tezonapa , 3 km SW of Paraiso, 400 m, 7 May 1986, R. Robles 686 ( XAL!) ; 3 km SW of Motzorongo , 18°40’N 96°40’W, 450 m, 7 May 1986, R. Robles 766 ( XAL!) ; mun. Jesús Carranza, 2 km N of Poblado 2, Ejido F. J. Mina, 17°16’N, 94°40’W, 120 m, 5 May 1982, M. Vázquez 2488 ( CIB!, XAL!) ; mun. Minatitlán, 14.7 km along dirt road La Laguna – Río Grande , then 6.9 km N along new road to Belisario Dominguez, “El Manantial”, 17°20’N, 94°22’W, 120 m, 12 Jul. 1980, T. Wendt et al. 2532 ( F!, total number of duplicates mentioned: 9) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Peperomia chazaroi (A, B, C). A) Miguel de Jesús Cházaro-Bazañez at type locality. B) Plants in habitat. C) Detail of the inflorescence. Peperomia parastriata (D, E, F). D) Plant in habitat. E) Inflorescences. F) Detail of the infrutescence. Peperomia vazquezii (G, H, I). G) Plants in limestone wall habitat. H) Inflorescences. I) Detail of the inflorescence. (Photographs A–H by T. Krömer; I by D.H. Jimeno-Sevilla).