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Piper methysticum

Authority Forst. f. Family Magnoliopsida:Magnoliidae:Piperales:Piperaceae Synonyms Common names 'ava, 'eva inu, arwa, ava, ava-kava, kava, kava-kava, yagona, yangona, yaqona Editor Ecocrop code 1713

Notes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION A bushy shrub, 2-3 m in height, with rounded or cordate leaves and thick, knotty, greyish-green roots. USES A beverage is made from the roots, it is the national drink of the Polynesians. It has narcotic, sedative, soporific, and hypnotic effects. To prepare the beverage the roots are pulped and fermented in water, and then strained through a fiber. The plant is closely connected with the social, political, and religious life of the Polynesians. A possible agroforestry species. GROWING PERIOD Slow-growing perennial. At the age of 10 months the average root weight is about 1 kg per plant. It is potentially profitable when harvested after 3-4 years. The life span may be 15-30 years. COMMON NAMES Kava, Kawa peper, Kava-kava, Yangona, 'Awa. FURTHER INF Kava is native of the Pacific Islands and occur within the latitudinal range 25°N-25°S. It require shade atleast during the first 30 months of growth, protection from winds, and a high relative humidity (70-100%). It is often grown on hillsides because of the good drainage conditions. It occurs at elevations between sea level and 600 m or more.
Sources
SOURCES (P. methysticum G. Forst.) Purseglove J 1974 pp 437 [USE] Rehm S 1991 pp 271 [USE] Roecklein J 1987 pp 18 [USE] Lebot V 1987 [USE, LIG, RAIN, KTMP, DRA, PH, TEMP, DEP, TEXT, FER]