Piper sylvaticum facts for kids

Piper sylvaticum is a type of climbing plant. It belongs to the Piperaceae family, which is also known as the pepper family. You can find this plant in the northeast part of the Indian subcontinent and in China. The fruits of Piper sylvaticum are often used to make different kinds of medicinal products.

What Does Piper sylvaticum Look Like?

This plant is a soft-stemmed (herbaceous) climber. It has separate male and female plants, which means it is dioecious. It can also spread using special stems called stolons that grow along the ground.

When the stems are young, they are a bit fuzzy. As they get older, they develop ridges and grooves. The plant produces small, round fruits called drupes, which are about 3 millimeters wide.

In China, Piper sylvaticum flowers in August and September. In Manas National Park in northwest Assam, India, it flowers and fruits from August to October. In Bangladesh, you can see its flowers and fruits from May to September.

One special way to identify this plant is by its very finely fuzzy leaves. Other unique features include its yellow flowers and deeply heart-shaped leaf bases.

How Piper sylvaticum Was Named

The plant was first officially described and named by a scientist named William Roxburgh in the year 1820.

Where Piper sylvaticum Grows

This plant naturally grows in Bangladesh and the Eastern Himalaya region. It can also be found in parts of Tibet and South Yunnan in China. You can also find it in India and Myanmar.

Where Piper sylvaticum Likes to Live

Piper sylvaticum prefers to grow in wet areas within forests. In China, it can be found in forests up to 800 meters high. In the Manas National Park in northwestern Assam, it lives in sub-Himalayan semi-evergreen forests. In Bangladesh, it especially likes shaded spots on the forest floor.

Different Names for Piper sylvaticum

This plant has many different names depending on the language and region:

• Among the Monpa people in southeastern Tibet, it is called pang-ser.
• In Standard Chinese, its name is 长柄胡椒, which means chang bing hu jiao.
• In English language, one common name is mountain long pepper.
• In India, it is known as Pahari pipul (in Hindi), pahaari peepal (in folk medicine), Pahari-pipoli (in Assamese), and vana-pippali (in Ayurveda).
• In Bangladesh, people call it pahari pipul or bon pan (in Bengali), borongpatui (in Tipuri languages), or bulpan.

How Piper sylvaticum Is Used

In the Indian subcontinent, the leaves of Piper sylvaticum are sometimes eaten as vegetables. The roots are used in traditional medicine to help with snake bites and to treat growths.

The Monpa people in southeastern Tibet mash the leaves and use them to reduce swelling.

Scientists have studied Piper sylvaticum and found that it has many traditional medicinal uses in the countries where it grows. Different parts of the plant, like the leaves, stems, roots, fruits, and seeds, are used to treat various health issues. These include muscle pain, headaches, long-lasting coughs, colds, and breathing problems like asthma. It is also used for stomach problems, indigestion, and issues with the liver or spleen. The root is specifically used to help with gas, and the parts of the plant above ground are used to help the body get rid of extra water.