PIPERACEAE The Pepper Family

 
 

The Piperaceae are characterized by:

 

  • winged leaf stalks that sheath the jointed stem
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  • tiny flowers usually borne in dense spikes or (more rarely) racemes
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  • reduced flowers that lack a perianth, although 1-3 bracts may be present
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  • 2-several stamens and 1-4 uniovulate carpels
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  • a drupe or drupelet fruit, which may be sunken into the fleshy receptacle

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The Piperaceae is a tropical family of about 3000 species, most of which belong to either the genus Piper (ca. 2000 species) or Peperomia (ca. 1000 species).

The genus Piper provides us with the spice black pepper, which is derived from the entire unripened fruit (peppercorn) of Piper nigrum.  White pepper comes from the same species, but is processed by removing the exocarp and mesocarp from the ripened fruit.  Kava, a narcotic beverage, is the national drink of the Polynesians, and betel nuts are likewise used as a narcotic in parts of Africa.  Many species of Peperomia are grown as ornamentals for their foliage.

 

 

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 Site created and maintained by Matthew Willmann and Melissa Luckow Cornell University, Ithaca, New York September 1998