The
type specimen were collected near
Hacienda Schunke, Peru at an altitude of 1200 meters.
Peperomia crotalophora is a moderately tall, procumbent,
glabrous herb that dries to a green color. The somewhat slender
stem is 2–3 mm thick with elongated internodes. The alternate
leaves are rounded-ovate to almost triangular-ovate, acute or occasionally obtuse or shortly acuminate, and medium-sized (5.5–6.5 cm long, 4.5 cm wide). They have
multiple pinnate nerves: 4 basal nerves and 2 additional pairs arising from the lower quarter of the midrib. The
petiole ranges from 3 cm to as long as 10 cm. The
terminal spikes are solitary, terminating 2 cm long, single-bracteate
peduncles. They are 50–70 mm long and 1 mm thick, with
flowers tightly arranged in whorls. The whorls of large
anthers are densely clustered and very conspicuous in the young state. The round-peltate
bracts are obscure and arranged in pseudowhorls of about 12. ==Taxonomy and naming==