Family · Magnoliids & basal

Piperaceae

Pepper (Piper), peperomia

Aromatic herbs, shrubs and vines with tiny flowers on dense spikes; source of black pepper, kava and popular Peperomia houseplants.

Accepted species: 3,892accepted names · Kew WCVP
Genera: 5accepted genera · Kew WCVP
Origin: ≈47 MaPaleogene · crown age, Jin & Qian 2022 megatree
Centre of diversity: Southern Americamost native species · WGSRPD

Open Piperaceae in the treePan, zoom and dig into its genera in the interactive view.

Plants you might know

Piper nigrum (black pepper)
Peperomia
Piper methysticum (kava)

Genera

Piper2,435 spp.
Peperomia1,447 spp.
Manekia6 spp.
Verhuellia3 spp.
Zippelia1 spp.

Where it grows

Southern America2,993
Asia-Tropical535
Northern America307
Pacific107
Asia-Temperate79
Africa70
Australasia18
Antarctic1

Native species richness by botanical continent (WGSRPD level 1), from Kew WCVP.

Related families

Piperaceae sits in the order Piperales.