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Piper melchior (Sykes) M.A.Jaram.

Scientific name record
Names_Plants record source
Is NZ relevant
This is the current name
This record has collections
This record has descriptions
This is indigenous
Threat status: Naturally uncommon
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Piper melchior (Sykes) M.A.Jaram., Syst. Bot. 33: 655 (2008)
Piper melchior (Sykes) M.A.Jaram.

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Endemic
Wild
New Zealand
Political Region

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(Sykes) M.A.Jaram.
Sykes
M.A.Jaram.
2008
655
ICN
species
Piper melchior

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melchior

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Densely branched dioecious shrub to c. 2 m tall, glabrous except for short hairs on the inflorescence. Stem nodes swollen. Leaves with prominent membranous stipules adnate to the proximal 3/5-4/5 of the petiole; free distal part of petiole (3-)6-7 (-10) mm long, green; lamina 7-13(-18) × 7-11 (-17) cm, broadly ovate or almost suborbicular, subcoriaceous, glossy, deep green above, pale beneath; main veins 5-(7), impressed on the upper side of lamina; base cordate; apex shortly and obtusely cuspidate. Inflorescence spikes solitary, rarely paired, terminal and axillary in upper leaf axils, the rachis pubescent. Male spikes 4—11 × 0.6-0.8 cm, rather stout, > female; anthers 1.1-1.3 × 0.8-0.9 mm. Fruiting spikes 6-11 × 1-1.3 cm, stout and + broadly cylindric but slightly tapering towards apex, initially suberect to horizontal, later curving downwards and becoming ± concealed by the leaves, each spike consisting of numerous free drupes or carpels. Individual mature drupes fleshy, orange, c. 3 mm long, 3—4 mm wide across apex, somewhat rounded but often tending to be irregular owing to their dense arrangement; receptacle with ciliate ridges between drupes. Stigmas sessile, situated in a slight depression on the otherwise flattened top of the drupe. Seed c. 2 mm long, 3-4-lobed, ellipsoid on inner face, black and shining. FL Jul-Aug, FT Feb- Mar (in cultivation in Auckland City).
Frutex dioecius ad c. 2 m altus, in habitu densus, praeter breves inflorescentiae pilos glaber. Folii lamina 7—13(—18) × 7—11(—17) cm, late ovata vel paene suborbicularis, subcoriacea, nitidaque; nervi principales 5-(7), supra impressi. Inflorescentia solitaria, axillaris ut videtur; spicae masculae 6-8 mm latae, parce crassae; spicae fructiferae maturae 6-11 × 1.0-1.3 cm, crassae; spicae fructiferae maturae 7-11 × 1.0—1.3 cm, crassae. Drupae liberae; pericarpium aurantiacum carnosumque. A Macropipere excelso drupis liberis, et a proximis tropicis, sicut M. puberulum, inflorescentiis crassis plerumque brevioribus drupisque varie coloratis differt.

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Macropiper melchior Sykes
Piper melchior (Sykes) M.A.Jaram.
Piper melchior (Sykes) M.A.Jaram.
Piper melchior (Sykes) M.A.Jaram.
Piper melchior (Sykes) M.A.Jaram.
Piper melchior (Sykes) M.A.Jaram.
Piper melchior (Sykes) M.A.Jaram.
Piper melchior (Sykes) M.A.Jaram.
Piper melchior (Sykes) M.A.Jaram.
Piper melchior (Sykes) M.A.Jaram.
Piper melchior (Sykes) M.A.Jaram.

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Piper melchior (Sykes) M.A.Jaram.
[Not available]

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20bac87b-7dab-49f5-9307-273b82b2f638
scientific name
Names_Plants
21 May 2012
16 October 2012
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