Terrestrial Peperomia

Peperomia leptostachya Hooker & Arnott

Peperomia leptostachya Hooker & Arnott, Bot. Beechey Voy., 96, 1832 [type from the Sandwich Islands, Lay & Collie, not seen by us.].—Yuncker, Occ. Pap. Bishop Mus., 14:22, 1938; 22:104, 1959.

Erect, fleshy, pubescent herb, leaves opposite or whorled, lower ones tending to be reflexed and caducous in dry seasons and situations, oval, oval-obovate, or rarely broadly ovate, obtuse to acutish at both ends, petioles up to 1 cm long, usually shorter; spikes terminal or in upper axils, pedunculate, slender, elongate, to 6 (or 10) cm or more, peduncles hirtellous, rachis glabrous; fruit globose-subobovoid, 0.9 mm long.

Hawaii and Southeastern Polynesia westward at least to Fiji and the New Hebrides; in Micronesia known only from Palau, where it is uncommon on limestone rocks at low elevations.

CAROLINE ISLANDS.—Palau: Koror: On elevated coral rock, Kanehira & Hatusima 4416 (FU); small unnamed island near Koror, Kanehira 243 (FU, NY).