Kali Mirch / Black Pepper
Piper nigrum
Also known as Common Pepper, Pepper
- Habit
- Climber
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Piper nigrum
- Genus
- Piper
- Family
- Piperaceae
- Habit
- Climber
- Habitat
- Evergreen and semi-evergreen and also cultivated
- Habitat type
- Forest, Cultivated
- Native to
- India
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka and cultivated elsewhere
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Puducherry, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, West Bengal
- Flowering & fruiting
- Throughout the year
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.“The leaves are alternate, entire, 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) long and 3 to 6 cm (1 to 2+1⁄2 in) across.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf margin
- EntirerecordedA smooth, unbroken edge with no teeth or notches.“The leaves are alternate, entire, 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) long and 3 to 6 cm (1 to 2+1⁄2 in) across.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Kali Mirch itself; the rest are typical of the Piperaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Fruit type
- DruperecordedA fleshy fruit with a single hard stone/pit enclosing the seed.“The fruit of the black pepper is a drupe and when dried is known as a peppercorn.Within the genus Piper, black pepper is most closely related to other Asian species such as P.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Spike
- Fruit
- Drupe
Characters marked “recorded” are for Kali Mirch itself; the rest are typical of the Piperaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- काली मिर्च Kali mirch, ऊषण Ushan,काली मिर्च kali mirch
- Nepali
- मरिच, कालो मरिच
- Bengali
- কালা মরিচ Kala marich, গোল মরিচ
- Tamil
- மரிசம் Maricam, மிளகு Milaku, மிளகு
- Telugu
- మరిచము Marichamu, మిరెము Miriyamu, నల్ల మిరియాలు
- Kannada
- ಕರಿ ಮೆಣಸು Kari menasu, ಕರಿಮೆಣಸು, ಕಾಳುಮೆಣಸು
- Malayalam
- കുരുകുളക് Kurukulak, നല്ലമുളക് Nallamulak, കുരുമുളക്
- Marathi
- मरीच Marich, काळी मिरची Kali Mirachi, मिरवेल Miravel
Kali Mirch in India
Black pepper, called काली मिर्च Kali mirch (Hindi), மரிசம் Maricam (Tamil), మరిచము Marichamu (Telugu), ಕರಿ ಮೆಣಸು Kari menasu (Kannada), കുരുകുളക് Kurukulak (Malayalam), मरीच Marich (Marathi), is native to the Western Ghats and remains one of India's classic export spices. Piper nigrum is grown across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, typically trained up living support trees or poles.
Uses
The dried berries are the everyday spice black pepper (and, prepared differently from the same berry, white and green pepper), used whole or ground in almost every savoury Indian dish and in many spice blends.
How to Identify Kali Mirch
A woody, climbing vine that attaches to supports with small aerial roots. Leaves are broad, glossy and heart-shaped with prominent veins. Flowers are tiny and packed onto slender hanging spikes, developing into dense strings of small round berries that ripen from green to red before being picked and dried black.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Black Pepper called in different Indian languages?
- काली मिर्च Kali mirch (Hindi); மரிசம் Maricam (Tamil); మరిచము Marichamu (Telugu); ಕರಿ ಮೆಣಸು Kari menasu (Kannada); കുരുകുളക് Kurukulak (Malayalam); मरीच Marich (Marathi); কালা মরিচ Kala marich (Bengali).
- What's the difference between black, white and green pepper?
- All three come from the same berry of Piper nigrum, differing only in when it's picked and how it's processed — green is unripe and fresh, black is picked and dried whole, white has the outer skin removed after soaking.
- Is pepper native to India?
- Yes — Piper nigrum is native to the Western Ghats of South India, where it has been cultivated and traded for over two thousand years.
Piperaceae
Pepper family
Kali Mirch belongs to the Piperaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Piperaceae
View all Piperaceae →Sources: GBIF — Piper nigrum (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Piper nigrum (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)