Piper colonense

Piperaceae

Spindly, herbaceous shrubs. The stems from a weak zigzag pattern and have swollen internode bases. The leaves are alternate, elliptic, with entire (smooth) margins. The leaves are pinnately veined. The leaf bases are oblique (asymmetric). The short petioles have a shallow groove on their upper edge and are slightly twisted. The stems and petioles are often covered with scattered short, fine brown hairs. The crushed leaves have a light pepper odor. The plants do not produce latex