Origin. The berries, arranged in dense spikes, of two species of Piper or Chavica, viz., Piper officinarum, DC. (Chavica offici-narum, Miq.) and Piper longum, L. (Chavica Roxburghii, Miq.) are known as long pepper. The former species grows in the islands of the Indian archipelago; the same applies to the latter which is also found in the Philippines, in southern India, Bengal, Malabar and Ceylon. The fruits are collected before maturity and dried.

Production and Properties. Upon distillation, long pepper yields 1 p. c. of a viscid, greenish-yellow oil, specific gravity 0,861 at 15°. It distils over between 250 and 300°, has a mild taste like pepper oil and its odor reminds one of that of ginger3).