Piper guineense Thonn.

Dioecious usually ± glabrous liane, 4–20(–23) m. tall, climbing into trees by means of adventitious roots near the nodes; stems glabrous or rarely pubescent; older stems with corky ridges.. Leaves alternate, very variable according to position, round to elliptic, ovate or lanceolate, 4.5–20.5 cm. long, 2–13 cm. wide, acuminate at the apex, rounded to cordate at the base or cuneate, pubescent on nerves beneath or entirely glabrous, rarely pubescent all over; petiole 0.5–4 cm. long; nervation variable, the nerves palmate from at or near base, and usually additional pinnate ones.. Flowers yellow or yellow-green in terminal or lateral leaf-opposed spikes, 2–3 cm. long, attaining 4–10 cm. (rarely more) in fruit; peduncle glabrous or slightly pubescent, 0.5–1(–2.5) cm. long; bracts round or obovate, peltate, ± 1 mm. in diameter, ciliate at margin, pubescent beneath.. Stamens 2(–3).. Ovary ovoid; stigmas 3–5.. Fruits mostly red or reddish brown but also orange or yellow to buff, globose to obovoid, 3–6 mm. in diameter on pedicels 0.5–1 cm. long.

Evergreen rain-forest, forest edges, usually in wet places, gallery forest along rocky rivers; at elevations of 750-1,650 metres.

The fresh or dried fruit is used to flavour soups, rice and other foods. It is like mild pepper. The leaves are added to soups. The leaves are also cooked and used as a substitute for tea. Leaves are chewed with betel nut as a substitute for Piper betle. Ash from the plants is used as a substitute for salt.

Plants can be grown by seeds or cuttings. Seeds germinate in about 22 days. Plants can be grown from stem cuttings.