- For other uses, see Piper (disambiguation).
| Piper | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Piper magnificum
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Species | ||||||||||||
|
See text. |
Piper is an economically and ecologically important genus in the family Piperaceae that includes about 1,000–2,000 species of shrubs, herbs, and lianas, many of which are keystone species in their native habitat, while others are a major invasive species in areas where they are introduced. The genus contains species suitable for studying natural history, natural products chemistry, community ecology, and evolutionary biology. The diversification of this taxon is of interest to understanding the evolution of plants. Piper species have a pantropical distribution, and are most commonly found in the understory of lowland tropical rainforests, but can also occur in clearings and in higher elevation life zones such as cloud forests; one species (P. kadsura from southern Japan and southernmost Korea) is subtropical and can tolerate light winter frost. Peppers are often dominant plants where they are found. Piper is a model genus for research in ecology and evolutionary biology. The diversity and ecological importance of the genus makes it an obvious candidate for ecological and evolutionary studies, though not surprisingly, most research has focused on the economically important species P. nigrum (black pepper), P. methysticum (kava), and P. betle (betel). Obligate and facultative ant mutualists found in some Piper species have a strong influence on their biology, making them ideal systems for research on the evolution of symbioses and the effect of mutualisms on biotic communities.
Selected species
- Piper aduncum or angustifolium - Matico, also known as spiked pepper
- Piper auritum or sanctum - Hoja santa, also known as Mexican pepperleaf
- Piper betle - Betel
- Piper borneense
- Piper cenocladum - Ant piper
- Piper cubeba - Cubeb, also known as Java pepper
- Piper darienense - Duermeboca, in Panama
- Piper decurrens
- Piper grandifolium
- Piper guineense Benin pepper
- Piper kadsura - Japanese pepper (Fūtōkazura)
- Piper imperiale
- Piper lolot - Lolot
- Piper longum - Long pepper
- Piper macrophyllum
- Piper magnificum - Lacquered pepper
- Piper mekongense
- Piper metallicum
- Piper methysticum - Kava
- Piper nigrum - Black pepper, also known as white pepper, green pepper
- Piper officinarum
- Piper ornatum - Celebes pepper
- Piper pachyphyllum - Mahalatsaka
- Piper porphyrophyllum
- Piper retrofractum
- Piper rubronodosum
- Piper rubrovenosum
- Piper saigonense - Saigon pepper
- Piper sylvaticum - Mountain long pepper
- Piper unguiculatum
References
- Dyer, L.A. and A.N. Palmer. 2004. Piper: A model genus for studies of evolution, chemical ecology, and trophic interactions. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston. ISBN 0-306-48498-6
