Piper magnoliaefolium Jacquin, Collectanea 3: 210. 1791; Peperomia spathulifolia Small; Rhynchophorum spathulifolium (Small) Small

Herbs , perennial, rhizomatous, erect, decumbent, or reclining, simple or sparsely branched, 10-40 cm, glabrous, without black, glandular dots. Leaves alternate; petiole 1/6-1/4 length of blade, glabrous. Leaf blade prominently to obscurely pinnately veined, spatulate to broadly ovate or broadly elliptic, 3-14 × 1.5-6 cm, lateral veins arching-ascending, originating from base to near apex of blade, base attenuate or narrowly to broadly cuneate, not auriculate, not clasping, slightly decurrent along petiole, apex notched or retuse; surfaces resinous-dotted, especially abaxially. Spikes mostly terminal, 1-3, densely flowered, 6-17 cm; peduncle glabrous, mature fruiting spikes 2-3 mm diam. Fruits sessile, ellipsoid, base rounded or tapering, tapering gradually to beak, 0.7-0.9 × 0.5-0.6 mm, minutely warty; beak elongate, 0.5-1 mm, tapering smoothly from broadened base to sharply acute apex, without filiform apical portion, straight, bent, or gradually hooked from about middle.

Flowering all year. Hummmocks, terrestrial or epiphytic; 0-20 m; Fla.; Mexico; West Indies; Bermuda; n South America.