444 POWDERED VEGETABLE DRUGS 



153. (Fig. 151.) PIPER. Black Pepper. U. S. 



Fl. ex. 60. Coarse powder, as a spice. 



Schwarzer Pfeffer, G. Poivre noir, Fr. 



The unripe fruit of Piper nigrum L., Piperaceae. 



Dark gray to mottled gray. 



Aromatic; pepper odor. 



Extremely pungent. 



Small epidermal cells (of pericarp) with dark coloring matter; be- 

 low this radially elongated, reddish brown, rather small, thick-walled 

 porous, sclerenchyma cells. Reddish brown pericarp parenchyma. 

 One layer of seed coat of small, porous sclerenchyma cells with outer 

 walls very thin; small celled pigment layer. Endosperm cells large, 

 prismatic, very thin-walled and entirely filled with uniform, small, 

 polygonal simple starch granules; some cells filled with resin. 



Ash 6 per cent. 



Ash of pepper refuse 10.25 per cent. 



Adulterated with flour, starches, mustard, husks, capsicum, flax- 

 seed fruit of allied species. The most common adulterant is black 

 pepper refuse (tailings and screenings from the milling). Poor grind- 

 ing peppers are used. Mold may be excessive. (See white pepper.) 



154. PIPER. White Pepper. 



Coarse powder as a spice. 



Weisser Pfeffer, G. 



Origin as for black pepper. The ripe fruits deprived of epicarp 

 and mesocarp are used. 



Ash gray. 



Aromatic; pepper odor. 



Very pungent; less pungent than black pepper. 



Histology as for black pepper, excepting that the epidermis, outer 

 sclerenchyma cells and most of the pericarp parenchyma cells are 

 wanting. 



Ash 2 per cent. 



Adulterations as for black pepper. Long pepper (Piper long-urn) has 

 no resin bearing cells in endosperm and cells are smaller. The ma- 

 jority of adulterants differ very markedly histologically and are readily 

 detected microscopically. Nut shells are also very extensively used as 

 an adulterant of pepper. Further, winnowings and refuse, stems, 

 date, olive and other seed shells and hulls. 



