''Piper aduncum'', the spiked pepper, matico, hierba del soldado, achotlín, cordoncillo, higuillo or higuillo de hoja menuda, is a flowering plant in the family

Piperaceae The Piperaceae (), also known as the pepper family, are a large family of flowering plants. The group contains roughly 3,600 currently accepted species in 5 genera. The vast majority of species can be found within the two main genera: '' Piper'' ...

. Like many

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

, the matico tree has a peppery odor. It grows wild on the coasts and in the forests of

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the souther ...

and in the Interandean Valleys, up to

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as '' orthometric heights''. The ...

Culinary use

Like many species of the family, this tree has the characteristic smell of pepper. The fruits are used as a condiment and for flavoring

cocoa Cocoa may refer to: Chocolate * Chocolate * ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree * Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao'' * Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter and ...

. It is sometimes used as a substitute for long pepper.

Traditional medicine

In the Amazon Rainforest, many of the native tribes use matico leaves as an

antiseptic An antiseptic (from Greek ἀντί ''anti'', "against" and σηπτικός ''sēptikos'', "putrefactive") is an antimicrobial substance or compound that is applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putre ...

. In

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

, it was used for stopping

hemorrhage Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethra, vag ...

s and treating

ulcer An ulcer is a discontinuity or break in a bodily membrane that impedes normal function of the affected organ. According to Robbins's pathology, "ulcer is the breach of the continuity of skin, epithelium or mucous membrane caused by sloughing o ...

s, and in European practice in the treatment of diseases of the genitals and

urinary organs The urinary system, also known as the urinary tract or renal system, consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and the urethra. The purpose of the urinary system is to eliminate waste from the body, regulate blood volume and blood pressure, ...

, such as those for which

cubeb ''Piper cubeba'', cubeb or tailed pepper is a plant in genus ''Piper'', cultivated for its fruit and essential oil. It is mostly grown in Java and Sumatra, hence sometimes called Java pepper. The fruits are gathered before they are ripe, and ca ...

was often prescribed.

Essential oil

The chemical composition of the essential oil differs depending on the origin, although phenylpropanoid dillapiole is the most cited component, followed by

myristicin Myristicin is a naturally occurring compound found in common herbs and spices, the most well known being nutmeg. It is an insecticide, and has been shown to enhance the effectiveness of other insecticides in combination. Myristicin is also a pre ...

, 1,8-cineole and β-

ocimene Ocimenes are a group of isomeric hydrocarbons. The ocimenes are monoterpenes found within a variety of plants and fruits. α-Ocimene and the two β-ocimenes differ in the position of the isolated double bond: it is terminal in the alpha isomer. ...

. The essential oil of ''P. aduncum'' was considered a promising insecticide, acaricide and antiparasitic in a 2021 review.

Characteristics

Matico is a tropical,

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

, shrubby tree that grows to the height of 6 to 7 meters (20 to 23 ft) with

lance A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier ( lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unli ...

-shaped leaves that are 12 to 20 centimeters (5 to 8 in) long. Its fruit is a small

drupe In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part ( exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or '' pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kerne ...

with black seeds. It is native to Southern Mexico, the Caribbean, and much of tropical

. It is grown in tropical Asia,

Polynesia Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...

, and

Melanesia Melanesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from Indonesia's New Guinea in the west to Fiji in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea. The region includes the four independent countries of Fiji, ...

and can even be found in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...

, and

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

. In some countries matico is considered as an

invasive weed An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species adv ...

. In parts of

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...

, although matico is notorious for drying out the soil in the areas where it is invasive, the wood of this plant is nonetheless used by local residents for a myriad of uses such as for fuel and fence posts.

Etymology

According to legends, the plant was discovered for Europeans, not for humanity, by a wounded Spanish soldier named Matico. The natives had been using it before the arrival of Europeans, as such it is not correct to say that Matico discovered it, without the qualification. He learned, presumably from the local tribes, that applying the leaves to his wounds stopped bleeding, and it began to be called "Matico" or "soldier's herb". It was introduced into the profession of medicine in the United States and Europe by a Liverpool physician in 1839 as a

styptic An antihemorrhagic (antihæmorrhagic) agent is a substance that promotes hemostasis (stops bleeding). It may also be known as a hemostatic (also spelled haemostatic) agent. Antihemorrhagic agents used in medicine have various mechanisms of action: ...

and

astringent An astringent (sometimes called adstringent) is a chemical that shrinks or constricts body tissues. The word derives from the Latin ''adstringere'', which means "to bind fast". Calamine lotion, witch hazel, and yerba mansa, a Californian pl ...

for wounds.

Taxonomy

''Piper aduncum'' was described by Linnaeus and published in ''Species Plantarum'' 1: 29. 1753.

Accepted varieties

* ''Piper aduncum'' var. ''cordulatum'' (C. DC.) Yunck. * ''Piper aduncum'' var. ''ossanum'' (C. DC.) Saralegui

Synonyms

* ''Artanthe adunca'' (L.) Miq. * ''Artanthe cearensis'' Miq. * ''Artanthe celtidifolia'' (Kunth) Miq. * ''Artanthe elongata'' (Vahl) Miq. * ''Artanthe galeottii'' Miq. * ''Artanthe galleoti'' Miq. * ''Artanthe granulosa'' Miq. * ''Artanthe vellozoana'' Miq. * ''Lepianthes granulatum'' Raf. * ''Piper acutifolium'' var. ''membranaceum'' C. DC. * ''Piper aduncifolium'' Trel. * ''Piper anguillaespicum'' Trel. * ''Piper angustifolium'' Ruiz & Pav. * ''Piper cardenasii'' Trel. * ''Piper celtidifolium'' Kunth * ''Piper disparispicum'' Trel. * ''Piper elongatifolium'' Trel. * ''Piper elongatum'' Vahl * ''Piper fatoanum'' C. DC. * ''Piper flavescens'' (C. DC.) Trel. * ''Piper guanaianum'' C. DC. * ''Piper herzogii'' C. DC. * ''Piper intersitum f. porcecitense'' Trel. * ''Piper kuntzei'' C. DC. * ''Piper lineatum'' var. ''hirtipetiolatum'' Trel. * ''Piper multinervium'' M.Martens & Galeotti * ''Piper nonconformans'' Trel. * ''Piper oblanceolatum'' var. ''fragilicaule'' Trel. * ''Piper pseudovelutinum'' var. ''flavescens'' C. DC. * ''Piper purpurascens'' D. Dietr. * ''Piper reciprocum'' Trel. * ''Piper submolle'' Trel. * ''Steffensia adunca'' (L.) Kunth * ''Steffensia angustifolia'' Kunth * ''Steffensia celtidifolia'' (Kunth) Kunth * ''Steffensia elongata'' (Vahl) Kunth

References

External links

''Piper aduncum'' by Alfred HarteminkFriday Fellow: "Spiked Pepper"
at Earthling Nature. {{Taxonbar, from=Q3281616 aduncum Flora of Mexico Flora of Belize Flora of Costa Rica Flora of El Salvador Flora of Guatemala Trees of Guatemala Flora of Honduras Flora of Nicaragua Flora of Panama Flora of Barbados Flora of Cuba Flora of Dominica Flora of Jamaica Flora of Martinique Flora of Puerto Rico Flora of Guyana Flora of Suriname Flora of Venezuela Flora of Brazil Flora of Bolivia Flora of Colombia Flora of Ecuador Flora of Peru Medicinal plants of North America Medicinal plants of South America Tropical agriculture Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Flora without expected TNC conservation status