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''Schinus molle'' (Peruvian pepper, also known as American pepper, Peruvian peppertree, escobilla, false pepper, rosé pepper, molle del Peru, pepper tree, (Archived b
WebCite
peppercorn tree, California pepper tree, pirul (in Mexican Spanish site), Peruvian mastic, Anacahuita o Aguaribay and Pepperina) is an evergreen
tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...
that grows to 15 meters (50 feet). It is native to an area from the Peruvian
Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
to southern Brazil. The bright pink fruits of ''Schinus molle'' are often sold as "pink peppercorns" although ''S. molle'' is unrelated to true pepper ('' Piper nigrum''). The word ''molle'' in ''Schinus molle'' comes from ''mulli'', the Quechua word for the tree. The tree is host to the pepper-tree moth, ''
Bombycomorpha bifascia ''Bombycomorpha bifascia'', the pepper-tree caterpillar, is a moth of the family Lasiocampidae, which is native to southern Africa. Food plants The larvae feed on the foliage of '' Searsia dentata'', the pepper-tree ''Schinus molle'', and other A ...
''.


Description

''Schinus molle'' is a quick growing evergreen tree that grows up to 15 meters (50 feet) tall and wide. It is the largest of all ''
Schinus ''Schinus'' is a genus of flowering trees and tall shrubs in the sumac family, Anacardiaceae. Members of the genus are commonly known as pepper trees. The Peruvian pepper tree ('' Schinus molle'') is the source of the spice known as pink pep ...
'' species and potentially the longest lived. The upper branches of the tree tend to droop. The tree's
pinnately compound Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...
leaves measure 8–25 cm long × 4–9 cm wide and are made up of 19-41 alternate leaflets. Male and female flowers occur on separate plants (
dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproducti ...
).
Flowers A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
are small, white and borne profusely in panicles at the ends of the drooping branches. The
fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...
are 5–7 mm diameter round
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 ...
s with woody seeds that turn from green to red, pink or purplish, carried in dense clusters of hundreds of berries that can be present year round. The rough grayish bark is twisted and drips sap. The bark, leaves and berries are aromatic when crushed.


Distribution

''Schinus molle'' is native to the arid zone of northern South America and Peru's Andean deserts, extending to central
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, t ...
and central
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...
. It has, however, become widely naturalized around the world. It is known for its strong wood used for saddles, and was one of the Spanish colonies' supply sources for saddles. It has also been used for spice production, but is mainly planted as an
ornamental tree Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...
. ''S. molle'' is a drought-tolerant, long-lived, hardy evergreen species that has become a serious invasive weed internationally. In South Africa, for example, ''S. molle'' has invaded savanna and grasslands and become naturalized along drainage lines and roadsides in semi-desert. It is also invasive throughout much of Australia in a range of habitats from grasslands to dry open forest and coastal areas, as well as railway sidings and abandoned farms.


Uses


Culinary

Although not related to commercial pepper ('' Piper nigrum'') the pink/red berries are sold as pink peppercorns and often blended with commercial pepper. The fruit and leaves are, however, potentially poisonous to poultry, pigs and possibly calves. Records also exist of young children who have experienced vomiting and diarrhea after eating the fruit. Presently ''Schinus molle'' lacks generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status with the United States
Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...
. Extracts of ''S. molle'' have been used as a flavor in drinks and syrups.


Medicinal

In traditional medicine, ''S. molle'' was used in treating a variety of wounds and infections due to its antibacterial and antiseptic properties. It has also been used as an antidepressant and diuretic, and for toothache, rheumatism and menstrual disorders, with recent studies in mice providing possible support for its antidepressant effects. It has also been speculated that ''S. molle'' insecticidal properties make it a good candidate for use as an alternative to synthetic chemicals in pest control. Fresh green leaves in bunches are used shamanically in Mesoamerican traditional ceremonies for cleansings and blessings.


Other uses

The leaves are also used for the natural dyeing of textiles in the Andean region. This practice dates back to pre-Columbian times. The Incas used the oil from its leaves in early mummification practices to preserve and embalm their dead.


Historical Use

The
Inca The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, ( Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts",  "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admi ...
used the sweet outer part of ripe fruit to make a drink. Berries were rubbed carefully to avoid mixing with the bitter inner parts, the mix strained and then left for a few days to produce a drink. It was also boiled down for syrup or mixed with maize to make nourishing gruel. There is also significant archaeological evidence that the fruits of ''S. molle'' were used extensively in the central
Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
around 550-1000 AD for producing ''
chicha ''Chicha'' is a fermented (alcoholic) or non-fermented beverage of Latin America, emerging from the Andes and Amazonia regions. In both the pre- and post- Spanish conquest periods, corn beer ('' chicha de jora'') made from a variety of maize ...
'', a fermented alcoholic beverage. In the late 19th century, ''S. molle'' was planted abundantly in
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
and became known as the "California pepper tree" to many. The tree had romantic associations with the state's Spanish missions - by the 1870s "the pepper tree had become as familiar a visual trope as the padres' sandals and staffs." They were also valued for their shade and tolerance of semi-arid conditions, and thus were planted along new avenues in the cities of Southern California. In 1911, an editorial in the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' celebrated the pepper tree: However, ''S. molle'' fell out of favor as a street tree in the early twentieth century, in part because it hosts black scale, a scale insect which threatened the
Citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is nati ...
groves of Southern California. The trees also tend to heave up sidewalks with their roots, produce suckers, and interfere with buried telephone wires and sewer pipes. Many of the oldest trees were uprooted and new street plantings were banned in the citrus colonies (
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
banned new street plantings in 1930).


Cultivation

The tree reproduces through seed, suckers and cuttings. The seeds have a particularly hard coat and germination rates are greatly improved after they have passed through the gut of birds or other animals. Seeds germinate in spring, with seedlings slow growing until established. The seeds easily germinate under the tree in the existing leaf litter of the mother tree, by the hundreds at once and can easily be transplanted.


References


External links


''Schinus molle'' List of Chemicals (Dr. Duke's)Celtnet Spice Guide entry for Pink Peppercorns
{{Taxonbar, from=Q855896 Antidepressants Dioecious plants Drought-tolerant trees Flora naturalised in Australia Medicinal plants Ornamental trees Peppers molle Flora of Northwest Argentina Flora of Northeast Argentina Trees of Brazil Trees of Paraguay Trees of Peru Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus