Schinus molle
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643ffc9a2e7cd595597707 |
| Scientific name | Schinus molle |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 388 (1753) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Schinus molle leaves have long been prepared as infusions and decoctions to treat respiratory and fever conditions in several South American settings. In the Andean highlands of northern Chile, people make hot leaf infusions for colds and flu‑like fevers (Giordano et al., 1991). Among the Mapuche of southern Chile, leaf infusions are taken for colds and as a diaphoretic during fever (Del Vitto et al., 1997). In the temperate Lowlands of Argentina, leaf infusions are used for colds and sore throats (De Feo and Vitale, 2006). In all three cases the plant parts are the young or mature leaves, and the preparations are consumed as simple household teas. In parts of northwest Argentina and Bolivia, leaves are sometimes included in “maté” style beverages to improve digestion and address mild stomach upset (Voces et al., 1998). The preparation is straightforward: 2–3 g of dried leaf per cup, pour just‑boiled water, cover, and steep for 10–15 minutes; 1–3 cups per day is typical. People also chew fresh berries as a mouth freshener and remedy, but the infusions documented by the sources above are the most consistently reported. Active constituents reported for the species include monoterpenes such as α‑ and β‑phellandrene, limonene, and myrcene; sesquiterpenes such as β‑caryophyllene; and flavonoids like quercetin, which plausibly support the reported antibacterial and anti‑inflammatory effects. Modern relevance: leaf teas are still common in Andean households and appear in herbal commerce, and recent pharmacological studies on the species continue to focus on the anti‑microbial and antioxidant activity of these terpenes and flavonoids (Gómez et al., 2015).
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Schinus molle yields an essential oil, most commonly obtained by hydrodistillation of the mature fruit pericarp or leaves. A dried “pepper” spice is produced from the mature fruits. The species is widely planted as an ornamental and shade tree.
Industrial and craft applications:
The essential oil is used as a fragrance ingredient in perfumes and soaps, and as a scent in cleaning and household products. It is documented as a rodent repellent and as a grain protectant, showing activity against stored-product insects; commercial formulations based on this oil are registered as pest-control products in some markets. Resin or gum associated with the tree is cited as a component in natural varnishes and spirit varnishes.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
The mature fruits are processed into a culinary spice comparable to pepper (Piper nigrum). The spice is used as a seasoning and flavoring agent, including in alcoholic beverages; processors prepare ground or cracked products and may integrate the fruit in blends.
Colorants and tanning:
The bark yields brown natural dyes used in dyeing textiles and leather. While historical sources describe bark and leaf dyeing, quantitative tannin content and standardized dye performance data for S. molle are not well documented in the modern technical literature, limiting
its role in modern tanning.
Wood and fiber:
The wood is used for small turned objects, tool handles, and general carpentry, with reference to its workable grain and moderate density. It is not a major timber species but finds application where small sections and good finishing are required.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
The oil is primarily composed of limonene and alpha-phellandrene, imparting a characteristic fresh, citrus-peppery note suited to fragrance compounding. Typical concentrations in leave-on cosmetics are kept low due to phototoxicity concerns; the oil is commonly employed at low dose in soaps, detergents, and fine fragrance accords.
Properties relevant to use:
The essential oil’s high monoterpene content (limonene commonly above 30%, often 40–60%) provides strong odor impact and volatility, useful in perfumery and as a repellent. The fruit spice has sensory attributes comparable to Piper pepper and remains the principal non-volatile product. Wood properties are consistent with moderate-density hardwoods suitable for turning and finishing.
Standards and regulation:
IFRA guidance applies to fragrance use of S. molle leaf/fruit oil. National regulatory frameworks govern rodenticide and grain protectant uses where products are registered (e.g., EPA in the United States; European PPP Regulations in the EU). Food-grade spice processing is subject to national food standards for spices and dried fruits.
Sustainability and sourcing:
The species regenerates readily from seed and stump sprouting and tolerates arid to semi-arid conditions, making it available from wild-collection and small-holder agroforestry. Overharvesting for essential oil in some regions has led to local population pressure, prompting development of small-scale cultivation to supply perfume and grain-protection markets.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Schinus bituminosus | Salisb. | Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton : 171 (1796) |
| Schinus molle var. huigan | (Molina) Marchand | Rev. Ancard. 164 1869 |
| Schinus molle var. argentifolius | Marchand | Rev. Anacardiac. 163. 1869 |
| Schinus occidentalis | Sessé & Moc. | Pl. Nov. Hisp. : 173 (1890) |
| Schinus molle var. huyngan | (Molina) March. | Rev. Anac. 164 1869 |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | pepper tree |
| English | peruvian peppertree |
| English | american pepper |
| English | california pepper tree |
| English | false pepper |
| English | peppercorn tree |
| English | pepperina |
| English | peruvian mastica |
| English | peruvian pepper |
| Spanish | pirú |
| Spanish | piru |
| Spanish | arbol de la pimienta |
| Spanish | arbol de la pimienta falsa del peru |
| Spanish | arbol de pimienta |
| Spanish | Árbol de pimienta |
| Spanish | arbol de pimiento |
| Spanish | arbol del peru |
| Spanish | falso pimentero |
| Spanish | falso pimiento |
| Spanish | lentisco del peru |
| Spanish | lentisco del perú |
| Spanish | pimentero de america |
| Spanish | pimentero de américa |
| Spanish | pimentero de americo |
| Spanish | pimentero de américo |
| Spanish | pimiento falso |
| Spanish | pirul |
| Afrikaans | peperboom |
| Amharic | ትሩማንትሪ |
| Arabic | فلفل رفيع الأوراق |
| Arabic | فلفل زهري |
| Arabic | فلفل ملطي |
| Arabic | فلفل رفيع |
| Arabic | متهدل |
| Arabic | فلفل مستحي |
| Arabic | فلفل كاذب |
| Arabic | فلفل تربنتين |
| Arabic | فلفل باكي |
| Arabic | فلفل زهري |
| Arabic | فلفل بيروي |
| Arabic | فلفل بيروفي |
| ay | mulli |
| Azerbaijani | yumşaq şinus |
| Bulgarian | мек шинус |
| Catalan | pebre fals |
| Catalan | fals pebrer |
| Catalan | pebrer fals |
| Catalan | pebrer bord |
| Czech | pepř růžový |
| German | molle-baum |
| German | mollebaum |
| German | peruanischer pfefferbaum |
| Persian | فلفل پروئی |
| Finnish | rosépippuri |
| Finnish | perunroseepippuri |
| Finnish | ruusupippuri |
| Finnish | perunpippuripuu |
| Finnish | roseepippuri |
| Finnish | rosepippuri |
| French | faux poivrier odorant |
| French | faux-poivrier odorant |
| Hebrew | פלפלון בכות |
| ht | moye |
| Hungarian | perui borsfa |
| Italian | albero del pepe |
| Italian | falso pepe |
| Italian | pepe rosa |
| Japanese | コショウボク |
| Korean | 페퍼나무 |
| Norwegian Bokmål | peppertre |
| Dutch | peruviaanse peperboom |
| Dutch | false peper |
| Portuguese | aroeira-brava |
| Quechua | mulli |
| Quechua | molle |
| Quechua | kullash |
| Quechua | kullas |
| Russian | Перец перуанский |
| Russian | Перуанский перец |
| Russian | Шинус мягкий |
| Swedish | rosépeppar |
| Swedish | peruanskt pepparträd |
| Tamil | மிளகு மரம் |
| Chinese | 胡椒树 |
| Chinese | 肖乳香 |
Varieties (abbr. var.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Schinus molle var. rusbyi | F.A.Barkley | Brittonia 5: 186 (1944) |
| Schinus molle var. molle |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Africa click to expand
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Macaronesia
- Canary Islands
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Northeast Tropical Africa
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- Guinea
- Senegal
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Arabian Peninsula
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Northern America click to expand
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Mexico
- Mexico Central
- Mexico Northeast
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South-central U.S.A.
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Southern South America
- Argentina Northeast
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Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000435157 |
| UNII | 7NY65X282C |
| USDA Plants | SCMO |
| Tropicos | 1300267 |
| INPN | 121504 |
| Flora of Italy | 3035 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:71044-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2480199 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 411495 |
| Observations.org | 134543 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 43851 |
| Nature Serve | 2.139397 |
| IUCN Red List | 61984171 |
| IPNI | 71044-1 |
| iNaturalist | 57354 |
| GBIF | 3190642 |
| Freebase | /m/027gwc8 |
| EPPO | SCIMO |
| EOL | 582275 |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 7378 |
| USDA GRIN | 70668 |
| Wikipedia | Schinus_molle |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||||
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| In This Issue | N/A | Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A | 30-Apr-2024 |
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| Risk assessment of Retithrips syriacus for the EU | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Gonthier P, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Stefani E, Thulke H, van der Werf W, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Bezerra Lima ÉF, Makowski D, Crotta M, Gobbi A, Golic D, Maiorano A, Mosbach‐Schulz O, Rossi E, Terzidou A, Vicent Civera A | EFSA J | 29-Apr-2024 |
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| The first peoples of the Atacama Desert lived among the trees: A 11,600- to 11,200-year-old grove and congregation site | Ugalde PC, Joly D, Latorre C, Gayo EM, Labarca R, Simunovic M, McRostie V, Holliday VT, Quade J, Santoro CM | Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A | 22-Apr-2024 |
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| Assessing Alien Plant Invasions in Urban Environments: A Case Study of Tshwane University of Technology and Implications for Biodiversity Conservation | Nelufule T, Shivambu TC, Shivambu N, Moshobane MC, Seoraj-Pillai N, Nangammbi T | Plants (Basel) | 18-Mar-2024 |
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| Plants from Arid and Semi-Arid Zones of Mexico Used to Treat Respiratory Diseases: A Review | Dávila-Rangel IE, Charles-Rodríguez AV, López-Romero JC, Flores-López ML | Plants (Basel) | 11-Mar-2024 |
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| The destructive subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae) can colonize arid territories | Hernández-Teixidor D, Pérez-Morín A, Pestano J, Mora D, Fajardo S | PeerJ | 29-Feb-2024 |
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| Poisoning by Nerium oleander L. in Franconia Geese | Pugliese N, Tinelli A, Crescenzo G, Nieddu M, Baralla E, Schiavone A, Zizzo N, Samarelli R, Dessì F, Circella E, Zizzadoro C, Saleh MS, Camarda A | Animals (Basel) | 14-Feb-2024 |
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| Biodiversity and Structural Analysis of Woody Plant Species of Home Gardens in Basona Worana District, North Shoa Zone of Central Ethiopia | Woldeyohannes A, Moges A | Scientifica (Cairo) | 08-Feb-2024 |
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| Enhancement of Strawberry Shelf Life via a Multisystem Coating Based on Lippia graveolens Essential Oil Loaded in Polymeric Nanocapsules | González-Moreno BJ, Galindo-Rodríguez SA, Rivas-Galindo VM, Pérez-López LA, Granados-Guzmán G, Álvarez-Román R | Polymers (Basel) | 26-Jan-2024 |
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| Evaluation of hepatoprotective and antidiarrheal activities of the hydromethanol crude extract and solvent fractions of Schinus molle L. (Anacardiaceae) leaf and fruit in mice | Belayneh YM, Mengistu G, Hailay K | Metabol Open | 20-Jan-2024 |
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| Psyllids in Natural Habitats as Alternative Resources for Key Natural Enemies of the Pear Psyllids (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) | Horton DR | Insects | 06-Jan-2024 |
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| Ethnobotanical study of traditional medicinal plants used by the local people in Habru District, North Wollo Zone, Ethiopia | Alemu M, Asfaw Z, Lulekal E, Warkineh B, Debella A, Sisay B, Debebe E | J Ethnobiol Ethnomed | 04-Jan-2024 |
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| Pest categorisation of Pestalotiopsis microspora | Bragard C, Baptista P, Chatzivassiliou E, Di Serio F, Gonthier P, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, MacLeod A, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Stefani E, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Vicent Civera A, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Migheli Q, Vloutoglou I, Gobbi A, Maiorano A, Pautasso M, Reignault PL | EFSA J | 21-Dec-2023 |
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| Essential-Oils-Loaded Biopolymeric Nanoparticles as Strategies for Microbial and Biofilm Control: A Current Status | Romero-Montero A, Melgoza-Ramírez LJ, Ruíz-Aguirre JA, Chávez-Santoscoy A, Magaña JJ, Cortés H, Leyva-Gómez G, Del Prado-Audelo ML | Int J Mol Sci | 20-Dec-2023 |
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| Prediction of Novel Natural Small Molecules From Schinus molle as an Inhibitor of PI3K Protein Target in Cancer Cells Using In Silico Screening | Kumar U, Manivannan HP, Francis AP, Veeraraghavan VP, R G, Sankaran K | Cureus | 20-Dec-2023 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |