Piper latifolium

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Piper latifolium

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Chavica sarmentosa
• Piper hainana
• Piper siassiense
• Piper gymnostachyum
• Piper lolot
• Piper baronii
• Piper pierrei
• Piper saigonense
• Piper albispicum
• Piper allenii
• Chavica hainana
• Piper zamboangae

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Piperales, it is classified under the family Piperaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Piper as the species Piper sarmentosum.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical range spanning across the Western Indian Ocean and parts of East Asia. Within the Western Indian Ocean region, it can be found growing in Mauritius, Madagascar, and Réunion. Its distribution also extends significantly into China, specifically throughout the South-Central territories. Furthermore, the species is documented to inhabit the tropical environment of Hainan. Consequently, the plant occupies several distinct ecological zones across these different international territories.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Piper sarmentosum is defined by its distribution across a broad altitudinal gradient, thriving in diverse topographical settings. This species occupies an elevational range that begins at sea level (0 m AMSL) and extends upward to a maximum altitude of 1000 m AMSL. This wide vertical distribution suggests an adaptability to varying environmental conditions, ranging from lowland tropical environments to mid-elevation montane zones. Such a range typically implies the plant can tolerate fluctuations in temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure associated with changing elevations within its natural habitat.

Elevational range max:

1000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Piper sarmentosum is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, ensuring its presence in its natural habitat over multiple growing seasons. As a hemicryptophyte, its perennating buds are located at or just below the soil surface, a structural adaptation that aids in its survival through varying environmental conditions. This species maintains an evergreen deciduousness, meaning it retains its foliage throughout the year rather than shedding it seasonally, which allows for continuous photosynthetic activity.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Piper sarmentosum is characterized by its classification as a terrestrial plant that lacks an aquatic or semiaquatic lifestyle. It exhibits a growth form that can be described as either a shrub or an herb, with a notable non-woody or woody variation depending on the specific specimen. The plant is not an epiphyte, maintaining a terrestrial existence, and it functions as an independent organism rather than a parasite. In terms of its climbing habit, it is categorized as self-supporting, rather than acting as an obligatory or facultative vine or liana. The plant height shows significant variation, with a reported mean height of 5 m, although some measurements indicate a much lower maximum height of 0.2 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.2 m

Plant height mean:

5 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Piper sarmentosum is characterized by specialized metabolic pathways focused on the synthesis of secondary metabolites, such as alkaloids and essential oils, which serve as chemical defense mechanisms. Its vegetative growth is driven by efficient photosynthetic processes within its leaf tissues, facilitating the conversion of solar energy into chemical energy to support structural development. Regarding its interaction with soil nutrients, the plant does not possess the symbiotic mechanisms required for biological nitrogen fixation; therefore, it is not a nitrogen fixer, as evidenced by its lack of specialized root nodules or associated diazotrophic bacteria. Consequently, the plant relies on the uptake of available nitrates and ammonium ions from the surrounding substrate through its root system to sustain its nitrogen requirements for protein synthesis and cellular function.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Piper sarmentosum has 4 reported plant parts identified across 12 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, fruit, root, stem.

Leaf

1. Natural products and bioprospecting
2. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Tropical biomedicine
5. Frontiers in pharmacology

Fruit

1. Natural products and bioprospecting
2. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR
3. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Root

1. Natural products and bioprospecting
2. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet

Stem

1. Natural products and bioprospecting

Chemicals

Piper sarmentosum has 16 reported phytochemicals identified across 12 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Sarmentine, naringenin, Dichamanetin, Lignans.

Flavonoids

1. Natural products and bioprospecting
2. Journal of plant physiology

Sarmentine

1. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR
2. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

naringenin

1. Malaysian journal of nutrition
2. Journal of plant physiology

Dichamanetin

1. Anticancer research

Lignans

1. Natural products and bioprospecting

PB-1

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Pellitorine

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Piperlongumine

1. Communications biology

Pterostilbene

1. Biomedicines

Sarmentosine

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Activities

Piper sarmentosum has 8 reported activities identified across 12 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, Antihypertensive, Antibacterial, Antifungal.

Antioxidant

1. Malaysian journal of nutrition
2. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Biomedicines

Antidiabetic

1. Frontiers in pharmacology
2. La Clinica terapeutica

Antihypertensive

1. La Clinica terapeutica
2. Frontiers in pharmacology

Antibacterial

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Antifungal

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Antimicrobial

1. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

Cytotoxic

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Hypoglycemic

1. La Clinica terapeutica

Medicinal Uses

Piper sarmentosum has 23 reported medicinal uses identified across 12 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include diabetes mellitus, hypertension, Toxoplasma gondii infection, antidiabetic, antimalarial.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations