Long pepper (Piper longum), sometimes called Indian long pepper, is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. Long pepper has a taste similar to, but hotter than, that of its close relative Piper nigrum - from which black, green and white pepper are obtained. The word pepper itself is derived from the Tamil/Malayalam word for long pepper, pippali. (The word pepper in green pepper, referring to completely different plants in the Capsicum family, is of the same etymology. That usage began in the 16th century.)