Spiked pepper, Hooked pepper
Piper aduncum
Family: Piperaceae
What it is like
A shrubby tree. It grows 2-8 m high. It spreads 2.4-5 m wide. The trunk can be 10 cm thick. The bark is smooth and grey. The leaf blade is oblong and sword shaped and 12-20 cm long by 3-9 cm wide. The nodes where the leaves join is swollen. The flowering head curves over. They are cord like and flexible. The fruit is an oval berry. These have small seeds.
There are about 1,000 Piper species. It is used in medicine. It has become invasive near Finschafen in Papua New Guinea.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in open and disturbed places. It grows up to 1500 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.
Countries/locations it is found in
Argentina, Asia, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Caribbean, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Guatemala, Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, Indonesia, Jamaica, Malaysia, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, Pacific, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Polynesia, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, South America, Suriname, Tuvalu, USA, Venezuela, West Indies
How it is used for food
The peppery fruit are used as a spice. It is used for flavouring fish. The fruit are sweet when black and very ripe. The leaves can be used as a potherb.
Edible parts
Fruit, spice, leaves
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Aduncum, Aperta-ruao, Biritac, Bwa majo, Bwa siwo, Cordoncillo, Cow's foot, Cuturo, False Kava, False Matico, Higuillo, Jaborandiba, Jointwood, Matico, Pimenta-do-mato, Seuseureuhan, Spanish elder, Wild pepper
Synonyms
Artanthe adunca (L.) Miq.; Artanthe celtidifolia (Kunth) Miq.; Piper aduncifolium Trel.; Piper aduncum var. laevifolium C. DC.; Piper anguillaespicum Trel.; Piper celtidifolium Kunth; Piper disparispicum Trel.; Piper elongatum Vahl var. laevifolium (C. DC.) Trel.; Piper fatoanum C. DC.; Piper flavescens (C. DC.) Trel.; Piper hebecarpum C. DC.; Piper intersitum Trel.; Piper intersitum var. porcecitense Trel.; Piper martinicense C. DC.; Piper martinicense var. genuinum Stehle; Piper martinicense var. montis-pilati C. DC.; Piper multinervium var. amplum Trel.; Piper multinervium var. kantelolense Trel.; Piper multinervium M.Martens & Galeotti; Piper multinervium var. skutchii Trel.; Piper oblanceolatum var. fragilicaule Trel.; Piper pseudovelutinum var. flavescens C. DC.; Piper stehleorum Trel.; Piper submolle Trel.; Piper subrectinerve C. DC.; Steffensia adunca (L.) Kunth; Steffensia celtidifolia (Kunth) Kunth;