Resumo

RAMIREZ AMEZCUA, José Manuel. Piper commutatum (Piperaceae), the correct name for a widespread species in Mexico and Mesoamerica. Act. Bot. Mex [online]. 2016, n.116, pp.9-19. ISSN 2448-7589.

Piper sanctum, long treated as a distinct species, is here reduced to a synonym of P. auritum, which is a popularly known plant in Mexico. The oldest binomial for the species to which the name Piper sanctum was misapplied is P. commutatum, a taxon ranging from central Mexico south to Costa Rica and occurring in cloud forest, tropical perennial forest, tropical subdeciduous forest and humid canyons in tropical deciduous forest, at elevations from sea level to 2050 m. Synonyms of Piper commutatum include: P. papantlense, P. nudum, P. diandrum, P. membranaceum, and P. venulosum, among others.

Palavras-chave : Central America; Mexico; nomenclature; Piper auritum; P. commutatum; P. sanctum; synonymy; types.