Japanese name: インドナガコショウ Scientific name:Piper longum
[Overview]
An evergreen climbing shrub that grows to several meters.
Young stems and other parts are densely covered with very fine soft hairs.
The leaves are simple and alternate, 6–12 cm long and 3–12 cm wide, ovate to kidney-shaped or ovate-oblong, papery, with pointed tips.
The upper surface of the leaves is glossy.
The leaf margins are entire.
The petioles are up to 9 cm long; leaves on the lower part of the stem have long petioles, while leaves at the stem tips are almost sessile and clasp the stem.
It is dioecious.
Spikes stand erect opposite the leaves; male inflorescences are 4–5 cm long and 3 mm in diameter, and female inflorescences are 1.5–2.5 cm long and 2.5–4 mm in diameter, and stalked.
The flowers are small and borne densely in large numbers.
The fruiting spikes bear densely packed drupes about 2 mm in diameter, which ripen red and turn black when dried.
[Uses]
It is used as a spice and also medicinally.
