Flora of Bogota: Piperaceae

Abstract

Piperaceae is a diverse pantropical group of basal angiosperms, which is represented in Bogotá by 28 species belonging to Piper and Peperomia. Piperaceae species are frequently found in forests and paramos of the district, and some species are cultivated for ornamental or medicinal purposes. This study presents a taxonomic revision of Piperaceae in the Capital District. The morphological characters of 249 botanical specimens were evaluated through field and herbarium work; 24 species of Peperomia and four of Piper were confirmed. The presence of four Peperomia species and five Piper species in Bogotá was discarded. Six species of Peperomia are new records to the District list: Pe. chimboana, Pe. emarginulata, Pe. epilobioides, Pe. gleicheniiformis, Pe. hispidula, Pe. ilaloensis and Pe. peruviana, the latter one being an extension of the distribution range for the species. In addition, the common high Andean species Piper bogotense C.DC is updated to its current valid name, Piper barbatum Kunth, following the priority rule in the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. This taxonomic revision is a contribution from the Flora de Bogotá project, which aims to generate tools to identify the plant species of the Capital District.