Piper cubeba
Piper cubeba
Piper cubeba, also known as cubeb or tailed pepper (Latin: Piper cubeba), is a plant in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit and essential oil. The plant is native to Java and other Indonesian islands, as well as the southernmost parts of the Indian subcontinent.
Pronunciation
Pronunciation: /ˈpaɪpər kjuːˈbiːbə/
Etymology
The term Piper cubeba comes from the Latin piper which means "pepper" and cubeba, the Latinized form of the Arabic name kabāba.
Description
The Piper cubeba plant is a perennial that can grow up to 6 meters in height. Its leaves are simple, alternate, and have a characteristic aromatic smell. The fruits, known as cubeb berries, are small and spherical, similar in appearance to black pepper, but with a stalk (or "tail").
Uses
The fruits of Piper cubeba are gathered before they are ripe and carefully dried. Commercial cubeb is then usually mixed with tail pepper (also called Java pepper). The dried pericarp is wrinkled, and its color ranges from grayish-brown to black. The seed is hard, white and oily. The odor of cubeb is described as agreeable and aromatic and the taste as pungent, acrid, slightly bitter and persistent. It has been described as tasting like allspice, or like a cross between allspice and black pepper.
Cubeb is used in modern herbalism where it is valued for its antiseptic, carminative, and diuretic properties. It is used in the form of a tincture for the treatment of urinary tract infections, cystitis, urethritis, and prostatitis.
Related Terms
- Piperaceae: The family of flowering plants to which Piper cubeba belongs.
- Java: The Indonesian island where Piper cubeba is native.
- Cubeb berries: The fruit of the Piper cubeba plant.
- Allspice: A spice that cubeb is said to taste like.
- Black pepper: A spice that cubeb is often compared to.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Piper cubeba
- Wikipedia's article - Piper cubeba
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski