Studies on Peperomia Urvilleana (A. Rich.)with Special Emphasis on its Floral Morphology

Abstract

The genus Peperomia consists of about 600 mainly tropical species and is included with 11 other genera in the family Piperaceae. This family along with two others, the Saururaceae and Chloranthaceae, constitutes the order Piperales. With other features the family Piperaceae is characterised by its minute flowers of simple structure. Each flower consists of a superior ovary of one to three carpels, each bearing a single basal ovule, and two to six bi-locular anthers. There is no perianth, although each flower is usually subtended by a single bract. The flowers are arranged spirally on an elongate axis forming a terminal spike.