Names: Artanthe elongata; Matico; Arlanthe.
English: Spiked Pepper, Higuillo de Hoja, Matico.
DD: turpentine.
Region: S. America - Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, north to the Caribbean and through Central America to Mexico.
Botany: evergreen shrub, small tree with a spreading crown; ± 5 m tall; bole is around 7cm in diameter, often with prop-roots and often branching at or near the base; habitat well-drained soils, open or disturbed areas, roadsides, forest edges, along streams; tropical; lower elevations up to 1,000 metres rainfall from 1.500 - 4,000 mm or more; moderately intolerant of shade; inflorescence cord-like, white to pale yellow, spikes, with many minute flowers, wind-pollinated; fruit numerous tiny drupes with black seeds, scattered easily by bats and birds; flowers all year round; fruits, leaves and seeds have a peppery taste and aroma; noxious invader of disturbed areas, southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, north America.
Content: asarone; coneol; chalcone; bezenoids; flavonoids, sequiterpenes, monoterpenes, heterocycles, phenylpropanoids, alkaloids.
Use: ornamental; fruits as a spice, peppery flavour, sweet when black and ripe; leaves as a potherb; soil cover basic construction; fuel, stakes, fences.
Sources:Marcy, Dr. Ruschenberger, Jeffreys, G. B. Wood.
Cornucopia II; Facciola. S.; Kampong Publications, California; 1998; ISBN 0-9628087-2-5.
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural
Plants; http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia; http://proseanet.org/
Tropical Plant Database; http://www.rain-tree.com/plants.htm
Global Invasive Species Database: http://www.issg.org/database/welcome/
Trees of Sungai Wain; http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/Sungaiwain/
Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands; Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H.; USDA, Forest Service; Washington; 1964.