Taxon:  Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.



Summary
Genus:
Pimenta
Family:
Myrtaceae
Subfamily:
Myrtoideae
Tribe:
Myrteae
Nomen number:
28390
Place of publication:
Contr. Gray Herb. 165:37.  1947
Verified:
03/14/1995 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
11 (1  active, 1  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Basionym
Myrtus dioica L.

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Myrtus aromatica Salisb.
Myrtus pimenta L.
Pimenta officinalis Lindl.
Pimenta pimenta (L.) H. Karst.
Pimenta vulgaris Lindl.

Images (3 total. Click on image for more.)
Fruit

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  2. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  3. Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
  4. Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage
  5. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  6. Gómez-Pompa, A. & V. Sosa, eds. 1978-. Flora de Veracruz.
  7. Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
  8. Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
  9. Landrum, L. R. 1986. Campomanesia, Pimenta, Blepharocalyx, Legrandia, Acca, Myrrhinium, and Luma (Myrtaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 45:83.
  10. Macía Braco, M. J. 1998. La Pimienta de Jamaica [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merrill, Myrtaceae] en la Sierra norte de Puebla (México). Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 56:337-349.
  11. Magness, J. R. et al. 1971. Food and feed crops of the United States. IR Bull. 1
  12. Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
  13. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  14. Paula, J. A. M. et al. 2010. Gênero Pimenta: aspectos botânicos, composição química e potencial farmacológico. Revista Brasil. Pl. Med. 12:363-379.
  15. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
  16. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishallspice  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Englishclover-pepper  1Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
EnglishJamaica-pepper  1Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
Englishpimenta  1Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
GermanNelkenpfeffer  2Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage
GermanPimentbaum  2Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage
Portuguese (Brazil)pimenta-de-jamaica  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Spanishmalaqueta  2Landrum, L. R. 1986. Campomanesia, Pimenta, Blepharocalyx, Legrandia, Acca, Myrrhinium, and Luma (Myrtaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 45:83.
Swedishkryddpeppar  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorthern MexicoMexicoSan Luis Potosí Macía Braco, M. J. 1998. La Pimienta de Jamaica [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merrill, Myrtaceae] en la Sierra norte de Puebla (México). Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 56:337-349.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoCampeches.e.Macía Braco, M. J. 1998. La Pimienta de Jamaica [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merrill, Myrtaceae] en la Sierra norte de Puebla (México). Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 56:337-349.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoChiapas Macía Braco, M. J. 1998. La Pimienta de Jamaica [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merrill, Myrtaceae] en la Sierra norte de Puebla (México). Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 56:337-349.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoOaxaca Macía Braco, M. J. 1998. La Pimienta de Jamaica [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merrill, Myrtaceae] en la Sierra norte de Puebla (México). Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 56:337-349.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoPuebla Macía Braco, M. J. 1998. La Pimienta de Jamaica [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merrill, Myrtaceae] en la Sierra norte de Puebla (México). Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 56:337-349.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoTabasco Macía Braco, M. J. 1998. La Pimienta de Jamaica [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merrill, Myrtaceae] en la Sierra norte de Puebla (México). Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 56:337-349.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoVeracruz de Ignacio de la Llave Macía Braco, M. J. 1998. La Pimienta de Jamaica [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merrill, Myrtaceae] en la Sierra norte de Puebla (México). Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 56:337-349.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCaribbeanCuba  Landrum, L. R. 1986. Campomanesia, Pimenta, Blepharocalyx, Legrandia, Acca, Myrrhinium, and Luma (Myrtaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 45:83.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCaribbeanJamaica  Landrum, L. R. 1986. Campomanesia, Pimenta, Blepharocalyx, Legrandia, Acca, Myrrhinium, and Luma (Myrtaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 45:83.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaBelize  Landrum, L. R. 1986. Campomanesia, Pimenta, Blepharocalyx, Legrandia, Acca, Myrrhinium, and Luma (Myrtaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 45:83.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaEl Salvador  Landrum, L. R. 1986. Campomanesia, Pimenta, Blepharocalyx, Legrandia, Acca, Myrrhinium, and Luma (Myrtaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 45:83.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaGuatemala  Landrum, L. R. 1986. Campomanesia, Pimenta, Blepharocalyx, Legrandia, Acca, Myrrhinium, and Luma (Myrtaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 45:83.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaHonduras  Landrum, L. R. 1986. Campomanesia, Pimenta, Blepharocalyx, Legrandia, Acca, Myrrhinium, and Luma (Myrtaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 45:83.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaNicaragua  Landrum, L. R. 1986. Campomanesia, Pimenta, Blepharocalyx, Legrandia, Acca, Myrrhinium, and Luma (Myrtaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 45:83.
Native
Northern America
  • NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [San Luis Potosí]
  • SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Campeche (s.e.), Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla, Tabasco, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave]
Southern America
  • CARIBBEAN: Cuba, Jamaica
  • CENTRAL AMERICA: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador

Reference(s)
  1. Landrum, L. R. 1986. Campomanesia, Pimenta, Blepharocalyx, Legrandia, Acca, Myrrhinium, and Luma (Myrtaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 45:83.
  2. Macía Braco, M. J. 1998. La Pimienta de Jamaica [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merrill, Myrtaceae] en la Sierra norte de Puebla (México). Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 56:337-349.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Food additivesflavoringspiceMarkle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
Medicinesfolklore Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Medicinesfolklore McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=28390. Accessed 15 April 2026.