Piper (Genus)

Piper, the pepper plants or pepper vines, is an economically and ecologically important genus in the family Piperaceae. The genus contains about 1,000–2,000 species of shrubs, herbs, and lianas, many of which are dominant species in their native habitat. The diversification of this taxon is of interest to understanding the evolution of plants. The scientific name Piper and the common name 'pepper' are derived from the Sanskrit term pippali, denoting the long pepper (P. longum).