Piper nigrum

Botanical Description

Piper nigrum is a climbing shrub producing a cluster of woody stems up to 10 metres tall, though more commonly 3 - 4 metres in cultivation. The stems attach themselves to other vegetation by means of adventitious roots[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ]. Black pepper has been used as a spice and medicine for thousands of years[ 254 Title The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Publication Author Chevallier. A. Publisher Dorling Kindersley. London Year 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148 Description An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world. ]. It is widely cultivated in tropical areas for its seed, which is the source of black, white and green peppercorns, commonly used as a hot flavouring in foods. The seeds are also much used in traditional medicine, particularly for treating digestive ailments. The plant is usually grown as a secondary crop in the shade of a taller crop[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ].