Description
Pepper long is the dried fruit of Piper longum
which is a slender, aromatic plant with creeping
jointed stems and perennial woody roots. The
leaves are 5-9 cm long, 3-5 cm wide, ovate,
cordate with broad rounded lobes at the base.
Female spikes are cylindrical, male spikes
are larger and slender. Female spikes are
1.3-2.5 cm long, 4.5 mm diameter, fruits ovoid,
yellowish orange, minute, drupe and are sunk
in the fleshy spike. The spike are red when
ripe.
Origin and Distribution
The plant is distributed
from Central Himalayas to Assam, Lower hills
of Bengal, evergreen forests of Western Ghats,
Nicobar Islands, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal.
The Indonesian or Malaysian long pepper is
from Pepper retrofractum.
Pepper long is cultivated on a large scale
in lime stone soil and in heavy rainfall
areas where relative humidity is high.
Uses
It is used as a spice and also in pickles
and preserves. The fruits and roots are
used as medicine for respiratory disease
and as counter irritant and analgesic for
muscular pains and inflammation. It has
carminative, haematinic and anti-helmintic
properties.
