Evidence for conspecificity of Piper methysticum forst. f. and Piper wichmannii C. DC

Abstract

Morphological, chemical, cytological and genetic evidence demonstrating the absence of taxonomic distinction between Piper methysticum and Piper wichmannii are reviewed. Piper methysticum is not a separate species, but rather a group of sterile cultivars selected from somatic mutants of P. wichmannii. As P. methysticum was described first (1786), it has priority and P. wichmannii (1910) is superfluous. A new subspecific classification is suggested that makes a distinction between the sterile cultivars ( P. methysticum var. methysticum) and the wild populations ( P. methysticum var. Wichmannii).