1992 Volume 57 Issue 2 Pages 227-229
Karyomorphological studies in 5 species of Peperomia reveals that P. pellucida H. B. K. is a tetraploid with 2n=44, P. glabella var. variegata is a triploid with 2n=36 and the other three (P. magnoliaefolia A. Dietr., P. polybotrya H. B. K. and P. obtusifolia A. Dietr.) are diploids with 2n=22 chromosomes. The n=11 chromosomes of the tetraploid and diploid species seems to be pronounced and may represent the basic set from which n=12 of the triploid species might have been derived. Species of Peperomia differ in minute details of karyotype suggesting the role of minute structural alterations in speciation.