English Name: Siltimur pepper

Scientific Name: Lindera neesiana (Wall. ex Nees) Kurz

Nepali Name: Siltimur सिल्टीमुर

Family: Lauraceae

Siltimur is a unique product of Nepal. Deciduous tree about 5 m high. Leaves petioled, 7 to 12 cm long, 1.5 to 5.3 cm wide, elliptic to lanceolate, caudate to acuminate, entire, thinly leathery, finely reticulate and pale below. Petiole shiny green in young, later brown, less lobed. Flowers scented, greenyellow, crowded, in umbels. Flowers March to April. Fruits May to August.

Siltimur Pepper is distributed from 1500 to 2700 m in edges of cultivatable lands in Central and Eastern Nepal. Farmers harvest its fruits from July to September.

Fruit is initially dark green, red in matured and black colored when dried, wrinkled like black pepper, equivalent to small pea, highly scented (slightly like lemon).

Uses:

It is used as spice. It has medicinal properties. It is used in Gastric and stomach ache. Locally, it is used while cooking mushroom.

Traditional uses

• Plant is a good of Sassafras which is aromatic, spicy and carminative.
• Fruits are chewed in cases of diarrhea, toothache and nausea.
• Essential oil distilled from seed is applied for boils and scabies.

Supplied country:

Middle East, Gulf, Asia, Asia Pacific, USA, EU, Scandinavian, Canada, China, India