Peperomia fragilis

Peperomia fragilis is a species of epiphyte in the genus Peperomia that is endemic in Colombia.^[1][2] It grows on wet tropical biomes.^[1] Its conservation status is Threatened.^[3]

The type specimen where collected in Nariño, Colombia.^[4]

Peperomia fragilis is a medium-sized, sprawling, somewhat succulent herb with stems that climb on shrubs, brittle in texture, covered with crisped hairs, with internodes 1–2 cm long above to 4 cm or more below. The leaves are elliptic-obovate or occasionally somewhat round, measuring 6–14 mm wide by 10–20 or 25 mm long, with apex acute or rounded and base somewhat acute. They are crisp-pubescent above along the midrib, smooth beneath, fringed with fine hairs toward the apex, rather faintly palmately 3-nerved with the midrib obscurely branched upward, drying membranous and translucent, faintly yellow glandular-dotted beneath. The petiole is 5–10 mm long and crisp-pubescent. The terminal and axillary spikes, sometimes 2 or more on small axillary branches, are closely flowered, 1 mm thick by 3–4 cm long, white when in flower and red with age, on peduncles up to about 10 mm long that are nearly hairless. The bracts are round-peltate. The fruit is about 0.70 mm long, globose-ovoid with oblique apex and subapical stigma.^[4]

It resembles P. rotundata to some extent but differs in its less hairy stems and glabrous lower leaf surface.^[4]

It was described in 1950 by Truman G. Yuncker in The Piperaceae of northern South America 2, from specimens collected by Joseph Andorfer Ewan.^[5] It got its name from description of the species. ^[4]

It is endemic in Colombia.^[2] It grows on a epiphyte environment and is a herb.^[1][4] In Colombia, its elevation range is 2600 meters.^[1] It grows on wet tropical biomes.^[1]

This species is assessed as Threatened, in a preliminary report.^[3]