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ADDISONIA 19 
(Plate 50) 
PEPEROMIA OBTUSIFOLIA 
Blunt-leaved Peperomia 
Native of Tropical America 
Family PIPERACEAE PEPPER Family 
Piper obtusifolia I,. Sp. Pl. 30. 175 
Peperomia obtusifolia A. Dietr. Sp. 1: 154. 1831, 
A somewhat meg bright green, smooth ere with sea ee 
simple or bran decumbent stems sometimes a foot long o 
longer, einitaues nea roots from the sti’ of ny stem. the 
leaves are elliptic or obovate, firm in texture, from tw 7 five 
inches long and from one to two inches wide; they are ecaiae or 
notched at the apex, narrowed at the base, and often decurrent on the 
petiole, which is sometimes one and one-half inches long; they are 
rather dark green and slightly shining on the upper surface, dull 
green on the under side; the midvein is rather acne on the 
under surface, and the lateral veins are few and obscure. ‘The very 
numerous and minute flowers are in slender spikes borne solitary 
or two together at the end of a stalk one inch to two inches long, 
the spikes being 5 inches long or less and only about two lines in 
thickness. The minute and imperfect flowers are slightly sunken 
in contiguous circular pits, each subtended by a minute bract; 
there are two stamens with short filaments; the ovary is sessile, 
with a terminal stigma. ‘The fruits are minute, oblong berries, 
loosely attached to the spikes, rather less than half a line in length, 
and tipped with a slender, hooked beak about one quarter of a line 
long. 
’ The plant inhabits wet forests nearly throughout continental 
tropical America and the West Indies, and occurs also in extreme 
southern Florida, growing on rocks, on old tree trunks, fallen logs, 
or on the ground, sometimes forming large colonies. It was first 
made known to botanists by Plumier in his “ Description des 
Plantes de l’Amerique ”’ 53, plate 70, published in 1693, under the 
name Saururus humilis, folio carnoso, subrotundo; he had it from 
the French Antilles, but does not say from which island; he records 
the French names ‘‘ queué de lezard”’ and “ pourpier de bois” 
as applied to it; according to Father Duss in “ Flore phanérogamique 
des Antilles francaises,” it is known as ‘‘ queue-de-lézard” in 
Martinique. It has been recorded from Bermuda, but the Bermuda 
