Leaf has petiole with asymmetrical elongations of leaf lamina behind it, leathery texture, and large "scrotum-textured" scales. Stem is not hollow and sometimes ants are found near the petioles of this plant, however, they seem to be associated with scale insects (Coccoidea, Hemiptera).
P. marsupiiferum can reach height of 90cm.
This information is based an ongoing project dedicated to the inventory and dissemination of information on lepidopteran larvae, their host plants, and their parasitoids in an Ecuadorian montane cloud forest.
N=23 Herbivore associations as of 2012.
Geometridae: Eois nov. sp. "pistachio"; N=23.
Larval lepidopteran herbivores reared in Napo Province, Ecuador (Yanayacu Biological Station and Center for Creative Studies).
For Piper phylogeny see attached pdf (Jaramillo et al., 2008).
For original publication details of Piper marsupiiferum see: Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Bot. Ser. 13(2): 189 189 1936.
P. marsupiiferum is found in Ecuador and Peru.
This information was accessed through Tropicos.
180m-1684m (based on CAPEA rearings).
Larval lepidoteran herbivores collected from P. marsupiiferum in Napo Province, Ecuador (Puagrayacu, Ollín-Sumaco, and Guacamayos ridge) and Pastaza/Orellana Provinces (Shiripuno Lodge).
Commonly found growing in steep rocky areas near creeks.
Piper marsupiatum Trel. & Yunck. is a synonym of the accepted name, Piper marsupiiferum C.DC. This information was accessed through The Plant List.