Diversity of Piperaceae at an Atlantic Forest remnant in the mountainous region of Espírito Santo, Brazil

Piperaceae has 450 species in Brazil, which occur throughout the country and with higher species richness in the Atlantic Forest and the Amazon Rainforest. There is a lack of researches on Piperaceae from the state of Espírito Santo, so that this study presents a floristic approach to the family at a remnant of dense ombrophilous forest in Limoeiro de Santo Antonio (19º56’40”S and 40º49’50”W), in the town of Itarana, Espírito Santo, Brazil. Ten species are represented at the site, grouped into the genera Peperomia Ruiz & Pav. (1 species) and Piper L. (9 species), for which we designed an identification key; they are described, commented, and illustrated by means of photographs.