This species is closely related to Piper peltatum[].

Common Name: Cordoncillo

General Information

Cordoncillo is a succulent, perennial plant, usually herbaceous but sometimes more woody and with a scrambling habit. Much-branched from near the base, it produces stems up to 4 metres tall from a woody rootstock[].
The plant is often gathered from the wild for local use as a medicine and a food. The plant is sometimes cultivated in home gardens[].

Known Hazards

The acrid compounds of the leaves and roots are irritant in high doses and cause severe inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. They cause burning, salivation, stomatitis, vomiting, severe abdominal pain and diarrhoea[].
The plant is an ingredient of an arrow poison[].

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, north to the Caribbean and through Central America to Mexico.

Habitat

Moist or wet forest and thickets, often in secondary growth, at elevations up to 1,500 metres[]. Undergrowth of evergreen rainforest, also in clearings and on river banks; always in damp localities; at elevations up to 1,800 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial Climber
Height	2.50 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant has become widely naturalized in tropical areas[]. It is a common weed of plantations; in cacao farms in Ghana and in oil-palm plantations in Cameroon it can be troublesome[].
The plant can flower all year round if there is sufficient moisture[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves and inflorescences - eaten raw or steamed and eaten as a vegetable or served as a side dish with rice[, ]. A favoured vegetable in Sierra Leone[]. The crushed leaves and stems have a strong aroma reminiscent of sarsaparilla and probably arising from the translucent glands that are apparent when the dry leaves are viewed against a strong light[]. The leaves also have a distinct flavour, and on that account are often used for flavouring various dishes[].
The leaves are used to wrap up other foods that are to be cooked[].
The stem-pith and the inflorescence are used in the preparation of a mucilaginous condiment[].

Fruit - a sweetish flavour when fully ripe, they are eaten raw as a delicacy[, ].

The bark is used as a condiment[].
The basal part of the stem, which sometimes has a thick and corky bark, is used as a condiment with rice or palm oil sauce[].

Medicinal

The leaves are widely used as an antseptic, emollient, vermifuge and vulnerary. The juice is taken as a diuretic, emmenagogue and galactagogue[]. An infusion of young ground-up leaves is taken to treat severe colic[]. The aerial parts are commonly given to women to regulate menses and prevent abortion[]. A decoction is given to treat hypertension, toothache, jaundice, malaria, urinary and kidney problems, syphilis and gonorrhoea, leucorrhoea, menstrual problems and stomach-ache[]. The plant is taken in order to expel tapeworms, whilst suppositories of the leaves are used to rid the body of pinworms[].
The crushed leaves are applied in the form of an enema to treat rectal prolapse[].
The leaves are used in massages for relieving migraine and other forms of headache, and are applied in a friction to relieve rheumatic pain[]. A decoction is used as a wash for feverish children, and is also applied on wounds and inflamed tumours[]. They are applied as a poultice on swellings, boils and burns[]. The leaf juice is used as ear drops to remedy earache and as eye drops to remedy conjunctivitis[].

The fruits are chewed with betel leaves (Piper betle) to treat coughs[].

The leaves and fruits are used to treat pain in the kidneys, oedema, anaemia and colic[].

The root is considered diuretic, febrifuge and stimulant, and also to promote the flow of bile[, ]. A root decoction is used as a powerful digestive and as a treatment for dyspepsia, constipation, jaundice, malaria, urinary and kidney problems, syphilis and gonorrhoea, leucorrhoea, menstrual problems and stomach-ache[].
A decoction of the roots is applied on wounds and inflamed tumours[]. The roots are macerated in alcohol and used to treat rheumatism[].

The pounded twigs and seeds, mixed with salt, are taken against intestinal worms[].

A tea made from the flower clusters is used in the treatment of coughs[].

In Brazil Piper umbellatum is much used in baths to subdue oedema and uterine complaints[].

The essential oil from the aerial parts of the plant has a high content of beta-pinene (27%), alpha-pinene (18%), (E)-nerolidol (12%) and beta-caryophyllene (10%)[].
The roots and aerial parts contain 4-nerolidylcatechol, a powerful antioxidant with chemopreventative potential. This may explain the traditional use of the plant in the treatment of skin cancer[].
A methanol extract of the leaves showed significant anti-malarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro[].
A water-ethanol extract showed anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects[].

Other Uses

There is a popular belief in some parts of Central America that if the juice of the foliage is rubbed on the skin, it will prevent attacks of redbugs or chiggers, or even of the small ticks[].

Propagation

Seed - The seeds show dormancy, which can be broken by direct sunlight[].
Division of suckers

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