Piper arnottianum

Attributions- Dr. N Sasidharan (Dr. B P Pal Fellow), Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi)

Thanks for posting this Piper.

Some general questions about this pepper: Is this used by people and if so how-medicine/food as a spice etc.

Which part of Western Ghats is this found?

Are other Pipers-for ex. Piper longum found in the same area as this Piper?

How do we identify this Piper if we come across it in the field?
Would appreciate if you could clarify these questions.

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It seems my mail about Piper longum has stirred … The only thing I can say now that my photograph matches with posted earlier on Indiantreepix, but is different from link on the left (Mother Herbs). My plant and that posted earlier on Indiantreepix have broader leaves with clasping base, whereas Mother Herbs….. plant seems to have longer, narrower leaves without clasping base, and a very short petiole. I will try to collect more information when I go to the University tomorrow.

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I am should I say excited by the enthusiasm of the accomplished members of the group. As everyone in the group knows that I am a novice in the field, I am thrilled like a schoolboy who is attending the first few days of college.
Your description of the breadth of the leaves and the petiole intrigues me. I have seen piper nigrum vines with broader leaves (Paniyur variety), and narrow leaves like what the local call by different names like otte thiri etc. Longer leaves of varieties like balankotta.
However they are all piper nigrum are they not? Please enlighten me.

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When I wrote about P. longum, there were two things in mind:
comparison between P. longum and P. cubeba photographs and not P. nigrum, I hope you know P. nigrum is very widely grown species, and as such we expect enough of variation
Secondly the broad and narrow reference is relation between length and breadth, and not simple breadth of leaves.
I am just leaving for my office. We interaction when I back in the evening.
In the meantime enjoy other mails. I read just your mail and did not time to read others just now.

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