Gen info
There is an estimated total of 1200 species of Piper in the pantropical and neotropical regions. Works on Philippine wild Piperaceae have been extensive. Candole (1910) reported 133 species of Piper and 26 of Peperomia; Merill (1923), 115 Piper, 25 Peperomia, and Quisumbing (1930), documented 87 Piper and 21 Peperomia.
Botany
Sambañganai is a dioecious vine with branches smooth, terete, 2 to 4 mm in diameter. Leaves are leathery, oblong-elliptic or rounded-ovate, 12 to 16.5 cm long, 4 to 9.5 cm wide, 5- to 7-plinerved, and smooth on both surfaces. Pistillate spikes are pendulous, 4.5 to 9.5 cm long, and about 1.5 cm in diameter. Bracts are smooth, conate to the rachis, with their ends fusing and forming the cupular receptacles. Fruits are globose, borne on the cupular receptacles, 4.5 to 6 mm long, 4 to 5 mm in diameter. Stigmas number 3 to 4, slightly hairy and rounded. Cupular receptacle is sessile to subsessile, stout, smooth outside, smooth to ciliate on the rim, and pilose inside. Staminate spikes are pendulous, slender, 3 to 6 cm long, and 2 to 2.25 mm in diameter. Stamens are 5, small, and sunk in the cupular receptacle, with very small, ovoid to subglobose, bilocular, 2-valved anthers, and the filaments oblong, swollen at the base and slightly longer than the anthers.
Distribution
In forests at medium altitude, in Agusan and Lanao Provinces in Mindanao.
Also occurs in Borneo and Java.
Parts used
Roots.
Uses
Folkloric
Decoction of roots used in venereal diseases.
Studies
• Naturally Occurring Antioxidants: Study of compounds of Piper species (P. nigrum, P. retrofractum, P. baccatum) revealed 14 phenolic amides, two from P. baccatum. All the phenolic amides exhibited significant antioxidant activities more effective than naturally occurring alpha-tocopherol.
Availability
Wild-crafted. |
