Bejuco alcanfor
Peperomia subrotundifolia
Bejuco alcanfor (Peperomia subrotundifolia) is a small epiphytic herb in the pepper family with distinctive rounded, succulent leaves that often display a waxy texture. This climbing or trailing plant typically grows on tree trunks and branches in cloud forests, contributing to the complex epiphyte communities that help regulate moisture and provide microhabitats for other organisms.
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Piperales
Family
Piperaceae
Genus
Peperomia
Bejuco alcanfor belongs to the family Piperaceae, order Piperales, within the Magnoliopsida class.
Species Profile
Bejuco alcanfor (Peperomia subrotundifolia) is a small epiphytic herb in the pepper family with distinctive rounded, succulent leaves that often display a waxy texture. This climbing or trailing plant typically grows on tree trunks and branches in cloud forests, contributing to the complex epiphyte communities that help regulate moisture and provide microhabitats for other organisms.
Peperomia subrotundifolia faces severe threats primarily from habitat destruction and fragmentation due to agricultural expansion and urban development in its limited range. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized threats, with small population sizes increasing extinction risk from stochastic events.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Peperomia subrotundifolia inhabits the misty cloud forests of tropical mountains, growing as an epiphyte on moss-covered tree trunks and branches where constant fog provides the high humidity it requires. These specialized ecosystems occur at specific elevational zones where persistent cloud cover creates unique microclimatic conditions.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Peperomia subrotundifolia faces severe threats primarily from habitat destruction and fragmentation due to agricultural expansion and urban development in its limited range. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized threats, with small population sizes increasing extinction risk from stochastic events.
Agricultural expansion
Habitat loss and fragmentation
Limited geographic range
Small population size
Urban development
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Bejuco alcanfor (Peperomia subrotundifolia). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/bejuco-alcanfor