IX 



LONG PEPPER 317 



adult it flowers and fruits all the year round, and 30 or 

 40 spikes can be taken from one plant every few days. 

 They are merely dried in the sun. 



The plant is figured, and some account of it is given 

 by Rumphius in the Herbarium Amboinense, vol. v. 

 p. 333, under the name of Piper longum. He states 

 that it was abundant in his time in Java, Bali, and 

 Uliasser, but only cultivated in a few gardens in 

 Amboyna, and gives the well-known Malay name, 

 Chabei, and also Lada padang, as used by Malays. 

 The Amboinese word is Maritsja ammo or Marisa 

 ammu. He states that it was cultivated on the stems 

 of the tree Moringa (the Ben-nut), or on coco-nut 

 trunks, but not on stakes as black pepper is. Natives 

 of Java say, however, that they cultivate it on posts 

 just as black pepper is grown. Miquel, Ulustrationes 

 Piperacearum (111. xxxix.), gives a good figure of it. 



The Javanese use it in curry and in native medicine. 

 It is chiefly grown in Java, Bali, Ehio, and other islands. 

 I cannot find that it has ever been cultivated in the 

 Straits Settlements, though it is mentioned by Hunter 

 in his Plants of Prince of Wales Island (Penang), as 

 " cultivated and used as long pepper, but a very distinct 

 species from the Malabar or Bengal long pepper," in 

 1802. 



Uses, etc. The spikes are gathered when they begin 

 to turn red or yellowish, and quickly dried in the sun, 

 or over a fire, as they are very liable to rot if not 

 speedily dried, and especially if gathered when red. 



The dried spikes are cylindrical and somewhat taper- 

 ing to the tip, and marked with superficial spiral furrows. 

 They are 1 in. or 1^ in. in length, and ^ in. through ; 

 of a brownish or greyish white colour (said to be caused 

 by rubbing them with lime), and when washed they 

 have a deep brownish red colour. 



The pepper is very much more pungent than black 

 pepper, and has a pleasant aromatic taste. 



As a spice it is chiefly used in pickling, and also as 

 ground pepper for preserves, and in Malay curries. It 



