Piper novae-hollandiae 

Location & distribution maps

Phylogeny & links to associated information:

Wikipedia links:       Angiosperms > Magnoliids > Piperales > Piperaceae > Piper novae-hollandiae

Other links:     

Plant  information

Common name:                Giant Pepper Vine

Conservation status:  Least concern

Etymology:   

• Its specific name pertains to its location in New Holland (Australia)

Flowers:                  

• The small, cream-colored flowers of the giant pepper vine occur from April to August

• Male flowers are arranged on a cylindrical spike, while the spike of females is more ovular

• Both male and female flowers occur on a single given plant

Fruit:                         

• 5 mm, oval-shaped, red, fleshy drupe

• It provides food to rainforest wildlife

Leaves:         

• Curtains of its leaves may sometimes be seen suspended from large rainforest trees.

• When in the juvenile stage, its leaves are thin and ovate, measuring roughly 8 cm by 8 cm 

• Also ovate, mature leaves — referred to as "sun leaves" — are thicker and larger

• They are a deep green colour with visible veins, and measure approximately 12 cm by 8 cm

Stem & branches: 

• Mature stems become woody and covered in rough, grey bark

• At its most advanced stage of development, the stem can be 40 cm thick at the base, and may reach 30–40 m in length, but the record is 70 m

Roots:         

Habit:        

• A vigorous and rapid-growing climbing plant 

Habitat:   

• Rainforests of eastern Australia

Distribution:                  

• A common climber growing in rainforests of eastern Australia

•  It grows north from Mount Dromedary in southern NSW to tropical Queensland

Additional notes:     

• It is related to the pepper plant..

• Taxonomy

  • First described by Dutch botanist Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel in 1866

• Uses

  • The giant pepper vine is usually ornamental when cultivated 

  • It grows too rapidly and to too great a volume for the average home garden 

  • It has been used in larger parks and gardens, and as an indoor plant

Sources of information:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_novae-hollandiae (Jan 2024)