Details of Medicinal Plants

Pepper

Piper nigrum L. Piperaceae

This plant is an evergreen climbing plant, and grows wild from Assam, India to the hilly areas of Myanmar. The stem grows 5 to 8 meters, and lignifies. This species has elliptical leaves and is monoecious or dioecious. A part of the leaf node bulges. Aerial roots emerge from the underside of the node and climb over other plants. A 10-cm spike appears on the opposite side of the leaves. The peppers are produced in India, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

Part used: fruit
Medicinal use: stomachic and carminative
Main component: piperine

This species blooms in the third year after it is planted as a cutting. The flowers are very small.

Green pepper, black pepper, and white pepper are made from this plant.

The red pepper from a Peruvian pepper species (Schinus molle Linn.).