Hebrew: פלפלון רך, Arabic: الفلفل البيروفي
| Scientific name: | Schinus molle L. | |
| Common name: | Peppercorn Tree, Californian pepper, Peruvian mastic tree | |
| Hebrew name: | פלפלון רך | |
| Arabic name: | الفلفل البيروفي | |
| Family: | Anacardiaceae, אלתיים |
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| Life form: | Phanerophyte, tree | |
| Stems: | 4–13 m tall; young stems cylindric with faint ridges and wrinkles, often turning red on exposed surfaces | |
| Leaves: | Alternate, compound, pinnate, smooth | |
| Inflorescence: | Panicle of cymes, 6−25 cm long, unisexual, axillary and terminal, open, lax to pendent on lateral branchlets, many-flowered, bracteate, minutely puberulent; peduncle 1.5−4.5 cm long | |
| Flowers: | Calyx 5-lobed, cup-shaped; 5 petals, white, yellow, widely spreading, broadly elliptic to ovate; stamens 10 in 2 whorls; pistil 1 | |
| Fruits / pods: | Drupelike, with 1 stone, spheroid, 4.5-6 mm, red, rose-red, pink; glabrous; mesocarp resinous, aromaric; endocarp, wrinkled ovoid or spheroid, 3-4.5mm long | |
| Flowering Period: | May, June, July, August | |
| Habitat: | Ornamental tree escaped from cultivation; disturbed habitats | |
| Distribution: | Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands | |
| Chorotype: | American | |
| Summer shedding: | Perennating |
Derivation of the botanical name: Schinus, Greek, schinos, "the mastic tree". The name is derived from the Ancient Greek name for another genus in the same family, pistacia "pistachio". Mastic is the resin of Pistacia lentiscus. molle, mollis, "swaying", "swinging", "pliant", "easily moved", "soft", "graceful". Peppercorn Tree, the fruits are reminiscent of peppercorns (even though they are not at all related), hence the common names. The Hebrew name: פלפלון, pilpelon, from פלפל, pilpel, pepper.
Introduced in 1920-30 
Location: Sede Boker, Ben Gurion's Hut |