Piper aduncum, Piper angustifolium, Piper elongatum

Small tree to 7 m tall, with short silt roots and soft, brittle wood; foliage and twigs aromatic. Branches erect, but with drooping twigs and swollen, purplish nodes. Leaves alternate, distichous, elliptic, 12-22 cm long, shortly petiolate; lamina scabrid above, with sunken nerves, softly hairy beneath. Inflorescence a leaf-opposed, curved spike on a 12-17 cm peduncle, white to pale yellow, turning green with maturity. Flowers crowded in regular transverse ranks. Fruit a 1-seeded berry, blackish when ripe.

Used as a aromatic stimulant, against gonorrhea, leukorrhea, piles, hemorrhages and dyspepsia.

Propagation: seeds and cuttings.

Culture: full sun / light shade, sandy loam soil, needs high humidity.

Plant in frost free areas.

Similar plants:

• Piper auritum (Root Beer Plant, Mexican Pepperleaf, Hoja Santa , Veracruz Pepper, False Kava-Kava, Sacred Pepper)
• Piper betle (Betel leaf)
• Piper blattarum (Higuillo)
• Piper longum (Bengal Pepper, Indian Long Pepper, Pippali, Piplamul)
• Piper magnificum (Lacquered Peppertree)
• Piper methysticum (Kava, Kava-Kava)
• Piper nigrum (Pepper)
• Piper ornatum, Piper crocatum (Celebes pepper)
• Piper peltatum, Lepianthes peltata, Pothomorphe peltata (Pakina, Monkey's Hand, Santa Maria Plant, Cachimuela, Cordoncillo, Pariparoba, Pariparova, Jaguarandi, Capeba, Caena)
• Piper retrofractum, Chavica officinarum, Piper chaba, Piper officinarum (Long Pepper, Balinese Pepper)