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Key to Peperomia

Piperaceae

Peperomia

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1 Leaves opposite or whorled; stems strigose.
  2 Bractlet margin crenulate; spike ca. 1 mm in diameter; [terrestrial on shell midden; e. coast of FL, from Duval County south to Martin County]
  2 Bractlet margin entire; spike ca. 2 mm in diameter; [primarily epiphytic in strand swamps; s. FL (Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Collier counties)]
1 Leaves alternate; stems glabrous or glabrescent.
    3 Leaf base slightly auriculate and clasping/decurrent on the stem, sessile or subsessile (petiole to 3 mm long).
    3 Leaf base cuneate, truncate, rounded, or cordate, distinctly petiolate (the petiole > 3 mm long).
      4 Leaves 2-4× as long as wide, the apex acute to acuminate, the base cuneate; plant either with conspicuous black punctate gland on stems and leaves, or black punctate gland absent or minute and inconspicuous.
        5 Black punctate gland absent or minute and inconspicuous
        5 Black punctate gland conspicuous
      4 Leaves 0.8-2× as long as wide, the apex rounded to emarginate (or if broadly cuneate, then the base rounded to truncate); plant lacking dark punctate gland (may have pellucid or amber gland).
          6 Leaves 0.8-1.3× as long as wide; largest leaves < 3 cm long, < 2.5 cm wide; leaf base rounded, truncate, or cordate; leaf venation palmate (with 3-7 main veins arising from a point at the leaf base).
             7 Leaf base truncate to cordate; leaf apex acute; primary palmate veins 5-7 from the base
             7 Leaf base broadly rounded; leaf apex broadly rounded; primary palmate veins 3 from the leaf base
          6 Leaves 1.3-2× as long as wide; largest leaves > 4 cm long, > 1.5 cm wide; leaf base cuneate; leaf venation pinnate (4-10 secondary vein diverging from the midvein at intervals above the base).
               8 Peduncle with microscopic trichome
               8 Peduncle glabrous.
                 9 Leaf blade typically oval to suborbicular, broadest near the midpoint, 4-9 cm long; [epiphytic on bark of living branches well above the ground; se. FL (Dade County) hammocks]
                 9 Leaf blade typically cuneate and obovate, broadest above the middle, 9-14 cm long; [on decaying on bark of logs and stumps]