PIPERACEAE P. Acevedo-Rodríguez A pantropical family of five genera and ~3,500 species of herbs, shrubs, small trees, vines and lianas. In the Neotropics, the family is represented by four genera and ~2,950 species, with ~52 species of climbers, two of which belong in the genus Manekia and the remaining 50 to the genus Piper.