Flora of Dominica, Part 2 - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

176 PHYTOLnCCACEAE-PIFERACEAE SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANY
Herb with loose racemes; carpels 10-16; tepals deciduous;
hits becoming dark purple.
Neotropics; in Dominica a weed to 550 m: Bellevue (Taylor
26), Deux Branches (Hodge 2988), Fond Figues River (Ernst
1439, La Chaudihre (Hodge 3581), Lisdara Estate (Cooper
147, Hodge 2458), Mome Jaune (Nicolson 2043, Sylvania
(Hodge 1160), Pont Casse (Long & Norstog 3374), Syndicate
(Whitefoord 3660), Trois Pitons (Lloyd 779), sine loc.
(Fishlock 37, Imray 98 at GH, 214 at K).
Caribs boil young leaves as an edible green, said to be good
for “dropsy” (Hodge and Taylor, 1957:556).
What, in the past (incl. Grisebach, Urban), was called P.
icosandra is now called P. rivinoides and what was called P.
octandra is now called R icosandra. Two Dominican specimens
(Ramage s.n. 17 May 1889 (BM) from Morne Barby and
Eggers 663 (GOET) from Rosalie) have been annotated as P.
icosandra but the note “short racemes of icosandra but tepals
deciduous” suggest a need for restudy. Phytolacca icosandra
(alias P. octandra), with a distinctly spike-like and densely
flowered raceme with persistent tepals, probably is not native in
the Lesser Antilles.
Rivina hunu’1i.v Linnaeus, 1753:121.
Rivina Linnaeus
Rivina humilis
Shrub to 1 m; berry red, with erect tepals.
Pantropical; in Dominica in disturbed areas on dry west coast
to 200 m: Cabrits (Ernst 2094, Smith 10325, Wilbur 8264),
Soufriib-e (Lloyd 436).
Trichostignua A. Richard
Trichostigma octandrum
Trichtigma octandrum (Linnaeus) H. Walter in Engler. 1909, IV.83 (Heft
39):109.
Rivina ocfandra Linnaeus, 17569.
Villamilla octandra (Linnaeus) J. Hooker in Bentham & J. Hooker, 1880,3:81.
Shrub or liana to 10 m; hits brown with deflexed tepals.
Neotropics; in dry grassland and woodlands of west coast to
180 m: Cabrits (Hodge 3716, Smith 10336), Colihaut (Ernst
1147). Macoucherie (Hodge 3765), Salisbury (Ernst 1762).
PIPERACEAE
1. Spikes several on a common peduncle; leaves peltate, 15
cm or more broad. .............. Lepianthes
1. Spikes solitary; leaves not peltate or, if so, only to 5 cm
broad.
2. Herbs; floral bracts punctate, not fimbriate; stigma 1
........................ Peperomia
2. Vines or shrubs; floral bracts epunctate, fimbriate;
stigmas 2-5.
3. Spikes opposite the leaves; leaves acute to rounded
3.
......................... Piper
Spikes axillary; leaves cordate to rounded . .....
..................... Sarcorhachis
Lepianthes Rafinesque
Lepianthes peltata
Lepianthes peltata (Linnaeus) Rafiiesque, 1838:85.-Howard. 1973a:381.
Piper peltatwn Linnseus, 1753:30, “pelotwn.”
Pothomorphe peltau (tinnaeus) Miquel, 1840:37.
Pothomorphe dwsii Trelease in Stehl6,1940:61.Stehlt, 1957:615.
Mal l’estomac, ma1 ete, monkey’s hand.
Herbaceous shrub to 2 m; leaves broadly ovate, peltate, to 35
cm broad; spikes umbellate on a common peduncle.
Neotropics; in Dominica in disturbed areas to 350 m: Bataka
(Hodge 3192, Stehlt 6098, Taylor 144), Clarke Hall (Ernst
1001), Hatton Garden (Hodge 2942), La Chaudiere (Hodge
3679), Holmwood (Webster 13282), Marigot (Hodge 427,
Nicolson 2010). Melville Hall (Hodge 423, Morne Negres
Marrons (Hodge 1076), Rosalie Valley (Lloyd 692).
Caribs heat the leaves and apply to the head for headaches
(Hodge and Taylor, 1957:553).
There is a controversy about the comt generic name,
essentially a question on the lectotypification of Lepianthes.
Howard (1973a:381) cited Piper umbellaturn as type but did
not make it absolutely clear whether it was of his accepted
name (Lepianthes), of his synonym (Pothomorphe), or of both.
Wilbur (1985:288) lectotypified Lepianthes on Lepianthes
granulata (Linnaeus) Rafinesque, making it a synonym of Piper
and accepted Pothomorphe for this species. Jones and Lamboy
(1986:153) objected, supporting Howard‘s choice as effective
and first. Wilbur (1987:113) reinforced his earlier position. I
prefer Pothomorphe, being the historically more familiar name,
and I agree with Wilbur that Howard’s designation was unclear.
However, I accept Lepianthes to concord with the Flora of the
Lesser Antilles.
Peperomia Ruiz & Pav6n
1. Leaves peltate ............. P. hernandiifolia
1. Leaves not peltate.
2. Leaves typically in whorls of 3, sometimes opposite
........................ P. tnyoria
2. Leaves alternate.
3. Venation distinctly pinnate.
4. Beak of fruit 0.2 mm long, brown, bent or straight
but not hooked, granular .... P. magnoliifolia
4. Beak of fruit 0.5 mm long, white, straight and
hooked at apex, not granular ... R obtuscfolia
3. Venation distinctly palmate or indistinct.
5. Plants repent; leaves to 1.5 cm across; venation
indistinct.