Piperaceae

Piperaceae
Temporal range:
Piper nigrum, from Koehler (1887)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Magnoliids
Order: Piperales
Family: Piperaceae
Giseke
Subfamilies
  • Verhuellioideae Trelease ex Samain & Wanke 2008
  • Zippelioideae (Miquel 1840) Samain & Wanke 2008
  • Piperoideae Arnott 1832
Synonyms
  • Peperomiaceae Smith 1981

The Piperaceae (/ˌpɪpəˈreɪʃiː/), also known as the pepper family, are a large family of flowering plants. The group contains roughly 3,600 currently accepted species in five genera, the vast majority within Piper and Peperomia. The bell and chili pepper, meanwhile, belong to a different family.

Piperaceae members may be small trees, shrubs, or herbs. The family's distribution is best described as pantropical. The best-known species, Piper nigrum, yields most peppercorns that are used as spices, including black pepper, although its relatives in the family include many other spices.

Photo
Piper caninum
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