return to: checklist; keys; family Piperaceae
Delicate
herbs of moist places, becoming weedy along paths during the rainy
season; leaves alternate, simple, broadly cordate, margins entire;
flowers minute, embedded in narrow spikes arising from the leaf
axils.
Additional image:
Morton (1981) reports numerous medicinal uses; minus roots and flower stalks, the plants are edible and recommended as a healthful addition to the diet.