Australian native pepper
Piper rothianum
Family: Piperaceae
What it is like
A vine which climbs by attaching roots. It grows 10-15 m high. The side branches hang down. The leaves are simple and 7-13 cm long by 5-9 cm wide. They are smooth and dark green. The leaves are broadly oval. The leaves when crushed smell of citrus. The flowering spikes are 10 cm long. The flowers are very small and cream. The fruit is up to 8-12 cm long by 0.6-0.8 cm wide. They are produced in the axils of leaves and at the ends of branches. They are dull red. There are several very small seeds. The fruit is edible.
There are between 1000-2000 Piper species. They are mostly in the tropics.
Where it is found
It is tropical. They grow naturally in the rainforest of NE Queensland. It occurs in dense, low to mid altitude rainforest.
Countries/locations it is found in
Australia (country/location of origin), Pacific, Papua New Guinea
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seed or from cuttings of the young growth.