Kava kava - Propagation via leaves?

[solomon]

I wanted to get an ID on a plant I bought labelled as Kava.

I have been propagating this plant for the last year or so in plastic tubs for humidity and warmth.

Alot of the leaves that get damaged will throw out roots, is this characteristic of Kava or any other Piper species?

Smells very strong, but I'm sure this is common with most Piper species.

I can take pictures of different parts of the plant if it helps.

[planthelper]

doesn't look like piper methysticum to me, sorry.

[solomon]

Ah bugger, I thought that might be the case

Does look very similar to P. methysticum on google images.

I wonder what it could be if it isn't Kava

Maybe P. auritum, but the leaves on my plant arent as long.

Edited May 16, 2012 by centipede

[tarenna]

If is smells like safrole then probably Piper subpeltatum or P. auritum.. Certainly not P. methysticum.

[etherealdrifter]

nor could it be an oz sass albidium.god forbid it's made it's way to our forrests!i wish vigilance in this matter

[solomon]

Smells like rootbeer/sarsparilla. Is that safrole?

Leaves look more like P. subpeltatum than P. auritum but it could just be the environment it's growing in.

But P. subpeltatum doesn't look that common, first result on goolgle is SAB.

Thanks for the responses

Edited May 16, 2012 by centipede

[tarenna]

Yep and the general smell of Camphor Laurel..

Certainly not Kava..

[solomon]

Ah, intriguing.

The Camphor tree is pretty.

Glad to have cleared it up somewhat.

I guess I have some more searching to do for Kava though

[CβL]

It could be a P. Auritum, but it looks slightly different to mine. I can't tell if it's a species difference or growth conditions.

Looking on gImages though, it seems there's a lot of variation. However, mine does not seem to root very easily. I had a cutting in water and it just rotted.

[tarenna]

I guess I have some more searching to do for Kava though

 

It would be incredibly difficult to grow in NZ as it is a really tropical plant - lots of supplementary warmth required

good luck

[whitewind]

It doesn't look like Piper auritum or Piper subpeltatum, the leaves too hairy for that. It doesn't look like Macropiper excelsum or Macropiper latifolium, both of which are very smooth - the habit in a pot looks a bit like what I would expect from auritum or methysticum, actually.

The fruit, bark and leaves of the kawakawa (Macropiper excelsum) all have medicinal properties.

http://www.nznativeplants.co.nz/Articles/Macropiper+excelsum.html

The leaves are made into a tea by being steeped in hot water.

Maori custom is to use the leaves as a head wreath for tangis, chew the leaves to reduce toothache and place leaves on a fire to create an insect repellent.

This is a very interesting write-up on Maori Kava

http://www.tripme.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?4670-Macropiper-Excelsum-Maori-Kava-%28aka-KawaKawa%29

There is another large leaved Macropiper / Piper from New Zealand that is growing at Sydney Botanic Gardens with large, glossy leaves that looks a little like Macropiper latifolium, but not quite (and the botanists there couldn't identify it a few years back). It was thought dead for the last few years but was actually dormant as rhizomes for a few years, so is still quite a small plant despite having been collected 15 or so years ago. It doesn't look like your picture, however.

I wouldn't give up on your Piper yet, it looks pretty interesting and many Piper species have unexplored properties, so who knows?

[solomon]

Thanks Whitewind. Not too worried that it isn't Kava, I would grow any Piper species I encountered.

The Macropiper species are of great interest to me and I love to chew on em. The fruits are good too.

Would love to hear any accounts of peoples use of the roots of Macropiper species, as that is what the early Maori here who named it Kawakawa would have presumably used.

Audrey Eagle's Complete Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand has exquisite illustrations of several Macropiper species in the Pacific.