Piper Longum Which Is A Slender, Much Branched, Ascending Herb And Needs Support For Its Proper Growth.  Cultivated For Its Fruit, Which Is Usually Dried And Used As A Spice And Seasoning. Long Pepper Is A Close Relative Of The Black Pepper Plant, And Has A Similar, Though Generally Hotter, Taste. The Word Pepper Itself Is Derived From The Sanskrit Word For Long Pepper, Pippali. It Is A Slender, Aromatic, Climber With Perennial Woody Roots, Creeping And Jointed Stems, And Fleshy Fruits Embedded In The Spikes.