PIPER NIGRUM. BLACK PEPPER. 
Class II. DIANDRIA.— Order III. TRIGYNIA. 
Natural Order, PIPERACEiE. — THE PEPPER TRIBE. 
Fig. (a) represents the calyx or corolla; (6) a flower cut open; (e) a section to show the germen; (d) the fruit; (<•) the same, decorticated. 
Piper Nigrum, 3 the tieo-bo of the Cochin-Chinese, the melagocodi of the Hortus Malabaricus, is a peren- 
nial plant, a native of the East Indies; and is much cultivated in Malabar, Java, Borneo, Sumatra, and the 
Philippine islands, whence the whole of Europe is supplied. It grows in the greatest abundance in the pro- 
vince of Malabar, and constitutes one of their principal articles of export. One thousand plants yield from 
500 to 1,000 pounds of pepper. 
It is a climbing plant, twining itself round any neighbouring support, and rising to the height of twelve 
or fifteen feet. The stems are round, smooth, jointed, woody, slender, branched, scandent, and if suffered 
to run along the ground, rooting at the joints. The leaves are broad-ovate, entire, pointed, coriaceous, 
smooth, shining, 7 -nerved, of a deep green colour, and stand at the joints of the branches upon strong sheath- 
like footstalks. The flowers are small, sessile, whitish, without calyx or corolla, and produced in long, 
slender, terminal spikes. The anthers are roundish, and placed opposite, at the base of the germen ; the 
germen is ovate, and crowned with three rough stigmas. The fruit is a globular berry, green when young, 
but turning to a bright red when ripe and in perfection. 
The Black Pepper, or pepper vine, as it is commonly called, is readily propagated by cuttings or suckers. 
If suffered to trail along the ground the plant would not hear ; prop-trees being necessary for encouraging it 
to throw out its prolific shoots. These prop-trees, called chinkareens, commonly planted for this purpose 
in India, according to Dr. Ainslie, are the betel nut palm, (Areca catechu ,) the moochid wood tree, (Ery- 
thrina indica ;) the mango tree, (Mangifera indica;) the jack tree (Artocarpus integrifolia ;) and the Hyper- 
antha moringa ; but it has been remarked, that the vines which cling round the two last, thrive the best. 
The trees commonly preferred in the islands of the Eastern Archipelago, are the Erythrina coralodenclron, 
and manghudu (Morinda citrifolia.) 
The plant begins to bear about the third year, and is esteemed in its prime in the seventh, which state 
it maintains three or four years ; it then gradually declines for about the same period. The vines generally 
yield two crops annually, the first in December, the second in July. As soon as any of the berries redden, 
the bunch is reckoned fit for -gathering, the remainder being generally full grown, although green. When 
gathered, they are spread on mats in the sun ; in this situation they become black and shrivelled, and as the 
pepper dries, it is rubbe'd occasionally between the hands to separate the grains from the stalks. 
According to Mr. Milburn, the pepper countries extend from about the longitude of 96° to that of 115° 
E., beyond which none is to be found; and they reach from 5° lat. to about 12° N., where it again ceases. 
Within these limits are Sumatra, Borneo, the Malay peninsula, and certain countries lying on the east coast 
of the Gulf of Siam. 
The pepper of Malabar is esteemed the best ; next, that of the east coast of the Gulf of Siam ; then 
follow those of Calantan ; Borneo ; the coast of Sumatra ; and last of all, the pepper of Rhio ; which, 
through the avidity of the cultivators and dealers, is plucked before it is ripe, and hence it is hollow and ill- 
coloured. 
There are two sorts of pepper in commerce, black and white. The best black pepper is that which is 
well garbled and clean, having the stalks, bad grains, and other impurities taken out, and is denominated 
heavy pepper ; it is the sort usually brought to Europe. This pepper when dry assumes a dark appearance, 
and is called black pepper ; divested of its external coat, by steeping the grains in water, and afterwards 
drying them in the sun, it is termed white pepper. 
Qualities and Chemical Properties. — Black pepper is aromatic, hot, and pungent. It yields 
its virtues to ether and alcohol, and partly to water. The infusion reddens vegetable blues. It is of a 
brown colour, which it owes to the outer coat. To analysis by M. Pelletier, black pepper yielded, 1st, 
a For the following account we are chiefly indebted to Churchill’s Medical Botany ; but we have taken some particulars from Mr. 
Pereira’s lectures in the Medical Gazette. 
