Piperales

Piperales, order of flowering plants comprising 3 families, 17 genera, and 4,170 species. Along with the orders Laurales, Magnoliales, and Canellales, Piperales forms the magnoliid clade, which is an early evolutionary branch in the angiosperm tree; the clade corresponds to part of the subclass Magnoliidae under the old Cronquist botanical classification system.

Many Piperales species are cultivated ornamentals, including lizard’s tail (Saururus cernuus); Peperomia species; Anemopsis, from southwestern North America; Houttuynia, a ground cover from Asia; wild ginger (Asarum); and vining Aristolochia species, some known as Dutchman’s pipe. Piper nigrum is the main source of the spicy condiment known as black pepper (but also green or white pepper).