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Botanical Family · Piperales

Piperaceae

Pepper family

11 speciesOrder Piperales8+ well-known plants

Herbs, shrubs and climbers with jointed nodes and spike inflorescences. Aromatic. Includes black pepper, long pepper, betel leaf, and kava.

Browse all 11 species ↓
Representative PIPERACEAE specimen
Representative specimen · Piperaceae
Key pattern

Aromatic herbs, shrubs, and climbers with swollen jointed nodes; tiny flowers lack any petals or sepals at all, packed edge to edge along a slender fleshy spike, each ripening into a single-seeded drupe — the peppercorn.

Every part of the plant carries pungent aromatic oils — piperine in true pepper gives peppercorns their heat, while betel leaf's essential oils are chewed as a stimulant across South Asia.

Identify the species

Which Piperaceae species is this?

Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Piperaceae species.

Click a node to trace its path · pinch or scroll to zoom · drag to pan
HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?
Climbing vine
Herb
Leaf SurfaceWhat does the leaf surface feel or look like?
Glabrous (smooth, hairless)
Pubescent (softly hairy)

How to recognise the Piperaceae family

  • 01

    Leaf arrangement: alternate

  • 02

    Leaf type: simple

  • 03

    Growth forms: herb/shrub/vine

  • 04

    Inflorescence: spike

  • 05

    Fruit: drupe on spike

Typical leaf characters

Characters typical of the family — individual species can vary.

Typical flower & fruit

Typical of the family — flowering plants only; species can vary.

Notable members

PariparobaLepianthes umbellataSlender PeperomiaPeperomia dindygulensisBaby Rubber PlantPeperomia obtusifoliaShiny BushPeperomia pellucidaAcorn PeperomiaPeperomia tetraphyllaBetel LeafPiper betleLong Pepper, Indian Long PepperPiper longumHill PepperPiper mullesua

All 11 species in PIPERACEAE

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