Skip to main content

Black pepper (Piper nigrum)

Lada or merica or black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a plant species in Piperaceae, growing climbing, rich in chemical properties for pepper oil, fat oil and starch which are often used as seasonings with a slightly bitter, spicy, warm and antipyretic flavor.

Morphology

P. nigrum has a trunk that climbs on a pole, sometimes also spreads on the ground surface and can reach 15 m long but in cultivation will be cut to leave 2.75-3 meters. Diameter 6-25 mm and is segmented to length 4-7 cm depending on the level of fertility. The segment at the base is usually shorter.

Dlium Black pepper (Piper nigrum)

Soil roots grow on underground stems with 10-20 strands, small and short in size, while aerial roots grow on each segment with 10-25 strands, 2.5-3.5 cm long and are used to attach themselves to the support.

The orthotropy branch grows from the armpit of the leaf on the stem segment in the soil and above the ground. Plagiatrop branches grow from branches and will grow after fruiting twice. The more plagiatrop branches, the more fruit will grow.

Branches that grow normally will be the growth media for flowers and fruit. The branch has a length of 35-65 cm, grows vertically, but will turn horizontal when the fruit is ripe and finally nod to bear the weight of the fruit.

Black pepper leaf buds are covered in scales, springy and stemmed. Adult leaves are ovoid, pointed tip, the top surface is shiny dark green, the bottom surface is pale green, 12-18 cm long and 5-10 cm wide. The leaves that grow on the upper trunk are usually longer.



Cultivation

Lada grows well at an altitude of 0-700 m in the tropics with 1,000-3,000 mm/year of rainfall and is evenly distributed throughout the year for 110-170 days/year with a dry season of only 2-3 months/year. Humidity 63-98%, temperature 20-35C, sandy and loose soil, good drainage and pH 5.0-6.5.

At least 40 varieties of P. nigrum in Indonesia, but farmers only plant a few varieties depending on the characteristics of the region or island. Each variety has advantages and disadvantages in pest and disease resistance where farmers choose the varieties that are most suitable for cultivation.

Plants are harvested after 3 years and are more productive for up to 8 years, but good maintenance will continue to be productive for up to 15 years or more. Since the flowers come out until the ripe fruit takes 7-9 months.

The young fruit is bright green, then turns dark green and reddish yellow. Black pepper is a fruit that is dried with the skin, while white pepper is a fruit that is dried after going through the process of soaking and stripping.

Content and utilization

White pepper has a more spicy taste but is not as rich as the taste of black pepper which has a more complex taste. The spicy flavor is formed by piperin, piperanin and chavicin. The aroma comes from essential oils consisting of several terpenes, protein, carbohydrates and piperin.

Merica was first known as a spice, but nowadays it is also for traditional and modern health. Pepper oil is widely used for diaphoretic, carminativ, diuretics, increased appetite, increased digestive and rheumatic glands.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Piperales
Family: Piperaceae
Genus: Piper
Species: Piper nigrum

Popular Posts

Six new species forming the Sumbana species group in genus Nemophora Hoffmannsegg 1798 from Indonesia

NEWS - Sumbawa longhorn ( Nemophora sumbana Kozlov, sp. nov.), Timor longhorn ( Nemophora timorella Kozlov, sp. nov.), shining shade longhorn ( Nemophora umbronitidella Kozlov, sp. nov.), Wegner longhorn ( Nemophora wegneri Kozlov, sp. nov.), long brush longhorn ( Nemophora longipeniculella Kozlov, sp. nov.), and short brush longhorn ( Nemophora brevipeniculella Kozlov, sp. nov.) from the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia. The Lesser Sunda Islands consist of two parallel, linear oceanic island chains, including Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba, Sawu, Timor, Alor, and Tanimbar. The oldest of these islands have been continuously occurring for 10–12 million years. This long period of isolation has allowed significant in situ diversification, making the Lesser Sundas home to many endemic species. This island chain may act as a two-way filter for organisms migrating between the world's two great biogeographic regions, Asia and Australia-Papua. The recognition of a striking cli...

Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum)

Ranti or black nightshade ( Solanum nigrum ) is a species of plant in the Solanaceae, shrub and short-lived, stems erect or lying on the ground, berries have a black color when ripe, grows in forests, agricultural land and disturbed habitats. S. nigrum has stems erect or lying at ground level, 30–120 cm (12 to 47 in) long, branched, tubular with several linear grooves forming a cone, green and white-haired. Leaves are elliptical to heart-shaped, 4-7.5 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, pinnate base, pointed or blunt tip, wavy edge or large toothed, dark green upper side, pale underside, hairy or hairless and has a stalk with a length of 1-3 cm. Flowers have greenish to whitish petals, curved when old and surrounded by bright yellow anthers. The berries are mostly 6-8 mm in diameter and are green then turn dull black or black purple or red. Black nightshade grows well with a soil pH of 5.5-6.5 and is rich in organic matter. It is difficult to grow under conditions of high temperature and high hum...

Redflower ragleaf (Crassocephalum crepidioides)

Sintrong or ebolo or thickhead or redflower ragleaf ( Crassocephalum crepidioides ) are plant species in Asteraceae, terma height 25-100 cm, white fibrous roots, generally grow wild on the roadside, yard gardens or abandoned lands at altitude 200- 2500 m. C. crepidioides has erect or horizontal stems along the soil surface, vascular, soft, non-woody, shallow grooves, green, rough surface and short white hair, aromatic fragrance when squeezed. Petiole is spread on stems, tubular and eared. Single leaf, spread out, green, 8-20 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, longitudinal or round inverted eggshell with a narrow base along the stalk. Pointed tip, flat-edged or curved to pinnate, jagged rough and pointed. The top leaves are smaller and often sit. Compound flowers grow throughout the year in humps that are arranged in terminal flat panicles and androgynous. Green cuffs with orange-brown to brick-red tips, cylindrical for 13-16 mm long and 5-6 mm wide. The crown is yellow with a brownish red...