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Long Pepper
Piper longum
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A climbing woody perennial in the pepper family, native to India. Before common pepper (P. nigrum) spread in the 16th century, this long pepper was the primary spice in ancient Greece and Rome. The elongated cylindrical spike fruits are dried and used as a spice. Used today in Indian and Indonesian cuisine and, as the related 'pippΔchi' (P. retrofractum), in Okinawan cooking. Contains pungent piperine-class alkaloids.
Identification Points
- βWoody climber with glossy green cordate leaves
- βElongated cylindrical spike fruits, drying to dark brown
- βPungent flavour from piperine
Habitat
Cultivated (tropical)
Season
Year-round (tropics)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Cordate
Growth form
Vine
Evergreen/Deciduous
Evergreen
Habitat
Cultivated
Phylogenetic Positionγ³γ·γ§γ¦η§ β
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Magnoliids > Piperales > Piperaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous (ca. 90 Ma onwards)
Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification