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.