Piper umbellatum L.

Sirih gajah (Piper umbellatum) is a shrub up to 4 meters tall from the Piperaceae family that originates from tropical America, widely spread as far as tropical Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. In the Malay Peninsula, its fruit is chewed together with betel leaf to treat coughs, while research in Brazil found its root extract potentially protects skin from UV radiation, now patented in cosmetic products. Sirih gajah is also traditionally used to address boils, malaria, and rheumatism.

Sirih gajah can be found growing in rainforest thickets, swamp forests, riverbanks, old rubber plantations, at elevations of 150-2,100 m asl. Grows optimally in open, humid areas.

• Roots have a creeping root system, main root woody, strong.
• Stem many-branched from near the base, watery, rooting at the stem nodes.
• Leaves alternate, upper surface dark green, grayish below, round to reniform, base more deeply heart-shaped, tip short-pointed to rounded, 5-15 x 5-20 cm, palmate venation, smooth margin. Petiole 6.5-30 cm long.
• Flowers small, bisexual, bracts triangular to round, stiff. Inflorescence a spike, whitish-gray, greenish or cream to yellow, 2-8 flowers arranged in a false umbel, glabrous, 2 stamens. Flower stalk finely hairy. Flowers appear in the leaf axils and in whorls.
• Fruit 3-angled, fleshy, brownish, seeded.
• Seeds round, small endosperm, abundant perisperm.

• Propagation is done generatively (seeds).
• Seeds show dormancy, which can be broken by direct sunlight.

Essential oil (β-pinene, α-pinene, (E)-nerolidol, β-caryophyllene, aromadendrene, linalool, γ-bisabolene, limonene, thymol, safrole, germacrene-D, β-cadinene, δ-cadinene, bicyclogermacrene), 4-nerolidylcatechol, cardiac glycosides, saponins, tannins, and alkaloids.

Treats swelling, boils and burns, ear drops for earaches, relieves jaundice, malaria, kidney problems, syphilis and gonorrhea, vaginal discharge, prevents miscarriage, inflamed tumors, dyspepsia, constipation and stomach ache, migraines and other forms of headache, reduces fever in children, treats severe colic, rheumatism, hypertension, toothache, treats tapeworm infection, relieves edema and uterine complaints, coughs, anemia, skin cancer, laxative for pregnant women, inhibits the toxic effects of venomous snakes, has emollient (moisturizing and softening skin), vulnerary (wound healing), antiseptic, emmenagogue (promoting menstruation), galactagogue (promoting breast milk), diuretic (promoting urination), and antioxidant activity.

Tombo (Java), Sak-masakan (Madura), Lomba (Maluku), Sirih-sirihan, Obiungku.