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Peperomia obtusifolia (L.) A.Dietr.

Baby rubber plant

Native records: 38 botanical areas

Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, 35 more areas

See all areas

Natural distribution

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NativeIntroducedUncertain

Distribution is shown as WGSRPD Level 3 areas. It does not imply the species occurs throughout an entire area.

Last updated:

Distribution last verified:

See sources

Photograph of Peperomia obtusifolia

A signature Piperaceae houseplant with glossy, nearly rounded succulent leaves, native to the humid tropical forests of Florida and Tropical America.

Description

An evergreen perennial epiphyte with upright, clustering stems reaching 15-30 cm in height. Leaves are alternate, obovate to broadly obovate, 4-10 cm long, coriaceous with a glossy surface, dark green. Produces flower spikes with numerous small yellowish-white flowers of limited ornamental value. Native to Tropical America, growing in moist forest understory and on trees.

Habitat

Native to the humid tropical forests of Florida through Tropical America. Primarily grows as an epiphyte on tree bark, decaying wood, or rocks, favoring moist, shaded understory environments.

Distribution areas

  • Anguilla

    • Leeward Is. AB AntNative

  • Antigua and Barbuda

    • Leeward Is. AB AntNative

  • Bahamas

    • BahamasNative

  • Barbados

    • Windward Is.Native

  • Belize

    • BelizeNative

  • Bolivia, Plurinational State of

    • BoliviaNative

  • Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

    • Leeward Is. AB AntNative

  • Brazil

    • Brazil NorthNative
    • Brazil NortheastNative
    • Brazil SouthNative
    • Brazil SoutheastNative
    • Brazil West-CentralNative

  • Cayman Islands

    • Cayman Is.Native

  • Colombia

    • ColombiaNative

  • Costa Rica

    • Costa RicaNative

  • Cuba

    • CubaNative

  • Dominica

    • Windward Is.Native

  • Dominican Republic

    • Dominican RepublicNative

  • Ecuador

    • EcuadorNative

  • El Salvador

    • El SalvadorNative

  • French Guiana

    • French GuianaNative

  • Grenada

    • Windward Is.Native

  • Guadeloupe

    • Leeward Is. AB AntNative

  • Guam

    • MarianasIntroduced

  • Guatemala

    • GuatemalaNative

  • Guyana

    • GuyanaNative

  • Haiti

    • HaitiNative

  • Honduras

    • HondurasNative

  • Jamaica

    • JamaicaNative

  • Martinique

    • Windward Is.Native

  • Mexico

    • Mexico CentralNative
    • Mexico GulfNative
    • Mexico NortheastNative
    • Mexico NorthwestNative
    • Mexico SoutheastNative
    • Mexico SouthwestNative

  • Montserrat

    • Leeward Is. AB AntNative

  • Nicaragua

    • NicaraguaNative

  • Northern Mariana Islands

    • MarianasIntroduced

  • Panama

    • PanamaNative

  • Peru

    • PeruNative

  • Puerto Rico

    • HaitiNative
    • Puerto RicoNative

  • Saint Barthélemy

    • Leeward Is. AB AntNative

  • Saint Kitts and Nevis

    • Leeward Is. AB AntNative

  • Saint Lucia

    • Windward Is.Native

  • Saint Martin (French part)

    • Leeward Is. AB AntNative

  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

    • Windward Is.Native

  • Sint Maarten (Dutch part)

    • Leeward Is. AB AntNative

  • Suriname

    • SurinamNative

  • Trinidad and Tobago

    • Trinidad-TobagoNative

  • United States of America

    • FloridaNative

  • Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of

    • Leeward Is. AB AntNative
    • VenezuelaNative
    • Venezuelan AntillesNative

  • Virgin Islands (British)

    • Leeward Is. AB AntNative

  • Virgin Islands (U.S.)

    • Leeward Is. AB AntNative

Climate of the native range

The Köppen climate classes found in the areas this plant is recorded as native to. It does not mean an entire area has that climate.

  • Aw Tropical, savannah
  • Cfa Temperate, no dry season, hot summer
  • Af Tropical, rainforest
  • Am Tropical, monsoon
  • BSh Arid, steppe, hot
  • Cwb Temperate, dry winter, warm summer
  • BWh Arid, desert, hot
  • BSk Arid, steppe, cold
  • Cfb Temperate, no dry season, warm summer
  • ET Polar, tundra
  • Cwa Temperate, dry winter, hot summer

The same climate occurs in 263 areas worldwide, 224 of which have no record of this plant. See them on the map

A matching climate does not mean the plant can grow there. Range limits are also set by things other than climate — dispersal history, soils, competition. Source: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0 (observed period 1991–2020).

Recorded medicinal uses

The cited source records medicinal use of this plant. It is not an assessment of efficacy or safety.

  • Peperomia obtusifolia is recorded as used medicinally.

    Source location: p.563, right column, line 11

    World Checklist of Useful Plant Species · Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity (KNB) · CC BY 4.0 · source version: wcups-2020-62602715

    Open source

Other names

Baby rubber plant、American rubber plant、Oval leaf peperomia、Pepper face

Family
Piperaceae
Genus
Peperomia

Other species in Peperomia

Sources

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Anguilla · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Antigua and Barbuda · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Bahamas · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Saint Barthélemy · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Belize · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Bolivia, Plurinational State of · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Brazil · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Barbados · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Colombia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Costa Rica · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Cuba · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Cayman Islands · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Dominica · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Dominican Republic · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Ecuador · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Guadeloupe · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Grenada · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Guatemala · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    French Guiana · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Guam · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Guyana · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Honduras · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Haiti · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Jamaica · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Saint Kitts and Nevis · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Saint Lucia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Saint Martin (French part) · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Mexico · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Northern Mariana Islands · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Montserrat · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Martinique · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Nicaragua · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Panama · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Peru · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Puerto Rico · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    El Salvador · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Suriname · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Sint Maarten (Dutch part) · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Trinidad and Tobago · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    United States of America · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Virgin Islands (British) · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Virgin Islands (U.S.) · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

Image information