Botanical name : Piper nigrum Linn

Family : Piperaceae

SANSKRIT SYNONYMS

Maricha, Krishna, Dharmapathanam, Ooshanam

AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES

Rasa : Katu

Guna : Lakhu, Teekshna

Virya : Ushna

PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES

English : Black pepper, Common pepper, Pepper

Hindi : Kalimirch

Malayalam : Kurumulaku

Distribution – Throughout India up to 1500 meters in height in evergreen forests, also cultivated.

PLANT DESCRIPTION

A perennial climber, rooting at nodes, leaves simple, alternate, cordate, and broadly ovate; flowers minute in hanging spikes, usually dioecious; fruits globose, one seeded berries, red when ripe. Seeds globose with acrid taste.

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

Plant pacifies vitiated kapha, vata, fever, dyspepsia, cough, cold, asthma, hemorrhoids, and tuberculosis.

Useful part : Fruits.