花椒属（学名：Zanthoxylum），又称秦椒、川椒或山椒。是芸香科灌木或乔木花椒树的果实。《神农本草经·注》中记载：“始产于秦。”原属野生。

花椒形状球形，椒皮外表红楬色，晒干后呈黑色。有龟裂纹，顶端开裂。内含种子一粒，圆形，有光泽。花椒含有柠檬烯、香叶醇、异茴香醚、花椒油烯、水芹香烯、香草醇等等挥发性物质。具有独特浓烈香气。

花椒按大小分为大椒，（大椒又称大红袍、狮子头），其果粒大，色艳红或紫红，内皮呈淡黄色。小椒（小椒又称小黄金，色红，粒小，味麻，香味次于大椒。），按采收季节又分为秋椒和伏椒。

Zanthoxylum piperitum, the Japanese pepper, Japanese pricklyash, or sanshō (Japanese:山椒) is a deciduous aromatic spiny shrub or small tree, belonging to the Rutaceae (citrus and rue) family. Natural range spans from Hokkaido to Kyushu in Japan, southern parts of the Korean peninsula, and Chinese mainland. The related Z. schinifolium (Japanese:イヌザンショウ pron. inuzanshō, lit., "dog sansho") occurs as far south as Yakushima, attaining a height of 3 meters.