|
|
Piperaceae: Piper nigrum |
Atlantic lowlands. All year. Cultivated.
Black pepper is not native to Costa Rica (it is an Asian species) but both Piper and the related genus Peperomia do grow wild here, with ca. 100 native species each in the country. The black pepper planting boom of the late 1980's and early 1990's was met with a world drop in market prices. Although it is not now an important crop in Costa Rica, it is grown, mostly in the wet Caribbean lowlands, and can be found in local markets.
© Barry Hammel 1996