Stats

Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Small
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Tropical rainforest
Range: South America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Rare

About

A trailing miniature peperomia native to Ecuador, prized for its tiny round leaves patterned with dark green veins on a silvery background — a near-perfect imitation of a turtle's shell. Each leaf is only a few millimetres across, making it one of the smallest members of the pepper family.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Piperales
Family: Piperaceae
Genus: Peperomia
Species: Peperomia prostrata