Piper interruptum is a vine in the pepper family Piperaceae, native to the eastern parts of Southeast Asia and to Melanesia and Queensland.
Piper interruptum is a root climber with a maximum stem diameter of 2 cm (0.79 in).[4] The leaves are ovate to narrowly ovate and mostly glabrous.[5] They measure up to 16 cm (6.3 in) long by 8.5 cm (3.3 in) wide, with a cuneate base which is often asymmetric, and an acuminate tip.[4][5] There are 1 to 3 pairs of lateral veins, all of which divert from the midvein in the basal portion of the leaf.[5] Petioles are 1 to 2 cm (0.39 to 0.79 in) long and stipules are 0.7 to 0.9 cm (0.28 to 0.35 in) long.[6]
This species is dioecious, meaning that functionally female and functionally male flowers are borne on separate plants.[5][6] The inflorescences are leaf-opposed pendulous spikes, around 0.4 cm (0.16 in) wide on a peduncle 1 to 2 cm (0.39 to 0.79 in) long − male spikes are 5 to 12 cm (2.0 to 4.7 in) long and female spikes are 7 to 19 cm (2.8 to 7.5 in) long.[5] The flowers are minute, just 0.5 mm (0.020 in) wide.[4]
In Australia, flowering occurs from January to February,[6] and fruits ripen from June to August.[5][6]
This species was first described by the Czech-German botanist Philipp Maximilian Opiz in 1828, his description was published in volume 1 of Carl Borivoj Presl's book Reliquiae Haenkeanae, seu, Descriptiones et icones plantarum.[7]: 157
The species epithet is from the Latin interruptus, meaning "broken apart" or "interrupted".[6] Opiz wrote in his description spadicibus cylindricus laxis, interruptis − "spadix cylindrical, lax, interrupted" − but it is unclear what he meant by the term.
The distribution of this species is from Taiwan south to the Philippines, New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Queensland.[3] In Queensland it occurs on the northeast coast from Cape Tribulation to Mackay.[6][8] It grows in rainforest at altitudes from near sea level to 800 m (2,600 ft), often on soils derived from basalt.[4][5][6]
This species is listed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as least concern.[1] As of 9 March 2023, it has not been assessed by the IUCN.
Foliage and flowers
Female flowers
Male flowers
Piper interruptum is a vine in the pepper family Piperaceae, native to the eastern parts of Southeast Asia and to Melanesia and Queensland.
