Peperomia wheeleri
Encyclopedia
Peperomia wheeleri is a rare species of flowering plant in the pepper family
known by the common name Wheeler's peperomia. It is endemic to Puerto Rico
, where it is known only from the island of Culebra
. It has been become rare because of deforestation
and grazing
by livestock
. It is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States.
This plant grows on the rocky island Culebra, anchoring in the humus that accumulates on the weathered granodiorite
boulders covering its surface. The forest habitat hosts other plants including: Clusea rosea, Bursera simaruba
, Ficus citrifolia
, Tillandsia
spp., Anthurium acaule, Whittmackia lingulata, and Epidendrum cochleatum. It can be found on the highest-elevation slopes of the island, located within Culebra National Wildlife Refuge
.
The plant is an evergreen herb growing up to a meter tall with oppositely arranged leaves with fleshy blades up to 7 centimeters long by 5 wide. The inflorescence
is up to 16 centimeters long but only a few millimeters wide and is covered in minute, nearly invisible flowers.
This plant is threatened by damage and destruction to the humus layer in which it grows. The scratching of domestic fowl can disturb it, and the removal of the forest canopy eliminates the source of the debris that forms the humus.
Piperaceae
The Piperaceae, also known as the pepper family, is a large family of flowering plants. The group contains roughly 3,610 currently accepted species in five genera. The vast majority of peppers can be found within the two main genera: Piper and Peperomia .Members of the Piperaceae may be small...
known by the common name Wheeler's peperomia. It is endemic to Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, where it is known only from the island of Culebra
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Isla Culebra is an island-municipality of Puerto Rico originally called Isla Pasaje and Isla de San Ildefonso. It is located approximately east of the Puerto Rican mainland, west of St. Thomas and north of Vieques. Culebra is spread over 5 wards and Culebra Pueblo...
. It has been become rare because of deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
and grazing
Grazing
Grazing generally describes a type of feeding, in which a herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...
by livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
. It is a federally listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of the United States.
This plant grows on the rocky island Culebra, anchoring in the humus that accumulates on the weathered granodiorite
Granodiorite
Granodiorite is an intrusive igneous rock similar to granite, but containing more plagioclase than orthoclase-type feldspar. Officially, it is defined as a phaneritic igneous rock with greater than 20% quartz by volume where at least 65% of the feldspar is plagioclase. It usually contains abundant...
boulders covering its surface. The forest habitat hosts other plants including: Clusea rosea, Bursera simaruba
Bursera simaruba
Bursera simaruba, commonly known as the Gumbo-limbo, is a tree species in the family Burseraceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas from the southeasternmost United States south through Mexico and the Caribbean to Brazil and Venezuela...
, Ficus citrifolia
Ficus citrifolia
Ficus citrifolia, also known as the Shortleaf Fig, Giant Bearded Fig or Wild Banyantree, is a species of banyan native to southern Florida, the Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America south to Paraguay...
, Tillandsia
Tillandsia
Tillandsia is a genus of around 540 species in the Bromeliad family , found in the forests, mountains, and deserts, of Central and South America, and Mexico and the southern United States in North America....
spp., Anthurium acaule, Whittmackia lingulata, and Epidendrum cochleatum. It can be found on the highest-elevation slopes of the island, located within Culebra National Wildlife Refuge
Culebra National Wildlife Refuge
The Culebra National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in Puerto Rico. It is part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex....
.
The plant is an evergreen herb growing up to a meter tall with oppositely arranged leaves with fleshy blades up to 7 centimeters long by 5 wide. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is up to 16 centimeters long but only a few millimeters wide and is covered in minute, nearly invisible flowers.
This plant is threatened by damage and destruction to the humus layer in which it grows. The scratching of domestic fowl can disturb it, and the removal of the forest canopy eliminates the source of the debris that forms the humus.