Piperaceae

Plant Sex: Flowers bisexual or unisexual; plants monoecious or dioecious.

Flowers: Actinomorphic.

Perianth lacking. Each flower with triangular to peltate bract. Ovary with basal placentation.

Inflorescence: Spikes densely covered with tiny flowers.

Fruits: Drupes.

Habit: Perennial herbs to small trees; some epiphytes.

Leaves: Usually alternate, simple, margin entire; marked with pellucid dots,

Examples:

Piper nigrum (black pepper)

black pepper plants being cultivated on trelises, Sarawak, Malaysia
closer view of shoots with young fruits

Piper (pepper)

habit of plant in flower from Mexico
inflorescences
inflorescences, intact and in L.S.

Peperomia (Peperomia)

close-up of inflorescence

Piperaceae, Fig. 9.10 from Judd et al. (2008)

SIUC / College of Science / Elements of Plant Systematics
URL: http://www.plantbiology.siu.edu/PLB304/Lecture12Magnol/Piperaceae.html
Last updated: 27-Feb-08 / dln