Piperaceae

The Piperaceae, also known as the pepper family, are a large family of flowering plants. The group contains roughly 3,600 currently accepted species in 13 genera. The vast majority of peppers can be found within the two main genera: Piper (2000 species) and Peperomia (1600 species).

Members of the Piperaceae may be small trees, shrubs, or herbs. The distribution of this group is best described as pan tropical.

The best-known species is Piper nigrum, which yields most peppercorns that are used as spices, including black pepper, although its relatives in the family include many other spices.

Source: Wikipedia