''Piper excelsum'' (formerly known as ''Macropiper excelsum''), of the Pepper Family (Piperaceae) commonly known as kawakawa, is a small tree to 20 feet (six meters)of which the subspecies ''P. excelsum'' subsp. ''excelsum'' is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

; the subspecies ''P. e.'' subsp. ''psittacorum'' is found on

Lord Howe Island Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland P ...

, Norfolk Island and the

Kermadec Islands The Kermadec Islands ( mi, Rangitāhua) are a subtropical island arc in the South Pacific Ocean northeast of New Zealand's North Island, and a similar distance southwest of Tonga. The islands are part of New Zealand. They are in total ar ...

Description

Kawakawa is found throughout the North Island, and as far south as Okarito (43.20 °S) on the West Coast, and Banks Peninsula (43.5 °S) on the east coast of the South Island. The leaves are often covered with holes caused by the caterpillar of the kawakawa looper moth (''Cleora scriptaria''). The images depict the variety ''majus'' which has larger and more glossy leaves than ''P. excelsum''. The name ''kawakawa'' comes from the Māori language, where it refers to the bitter taste of the leaves, from ''kawa'' or bitter.

Leaves

Kawakawa leaves are about 5–10 cm long by 6–12 cm wide; they are opposite to each other, broadly rounded with a short drawn-out tip and are heart-shaped at their bases. The leaves are deep green in colour if growing in the forest, but may be yellowish-green in more open situations.

Flowers

The flowers are produced on greenish, erect spikes 2.5–7.5 cm long. Kawakawa flowers are quite minute and very closely placed around the spike. After pollination the flowers gradually swell and become fleshy to form small, berry-like fruits that are yellow to bright orange.

Berries

Each berry cluster is the size of a small finger. Ripening period is January and February. These fruits are favoured by

kererū The kererū (''Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae'') or New Zealand pigeon is a species of pigeon native to New Zealand. Johann Friedrich Gmelin described the bird in 1789 as a large, conspicuous pigeon up to in length and in weight, with a white br ...

or New Zealand pigeon (''Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae'') and tui (''Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae'').

Uses

Kawakawa is a traditional medicinal plant of the

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

. An infusion is made from the leaves or roots, and used for bladder problems, boils, bruises, to relieve pain or toothache, or as a general tonic. The sweet edible yellow berries (most often found in summer on female trees) of the plant were eaten as a

diuretic A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics i ...

. It also is important in cultural contexts: host people of a

marae A ' (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan), ' (in Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies. In all these languages, the term a ...

wave leaves of kawakawa to welcome guests. At a tangi, both hosts and guests may wear wreaths of kawakawa on the head as a sign of mourning. It is commonly grown as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

in gardens.New Zealand Plant Conservation Network: ''Piper excelsum'' subsp. ''excelsum''

Relationship with kava

Kawakawa is sometimes called "Māori kava" and is often confused with the kava plant ( ''Piper methysticum''). While the two plants look similar and have similar names, they are different, albeit related, species. Kava is a traditional plant and beverage of the South Pacific. The roots of the plant are used to produce a drink with medicinal, sedative,

anesthetic An anesthetic (American English) or anaesthetic (British English; see spelling differences) is a drug used to induce anesthesia ⁠— ⁠in other words, to result in a temporary loss of sensation or awareness. They may be divided into two ...

, euphoriant, and

entheogen Entheogens are psychoactive substances that induce alterations in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, or behavior for the purposes of engendering spiritual development or otherwiseRätsch, Christian, ''The Encyclopedia of Psychoac ...

ic properties. It is most likely not a coincidence that this plant has a similar name to kawakawa. One source stated: "In New Zealand, where the climate is too cold for kava, the Maori gave the name kawa-kawa to another Piperaceae, ''M. excelsum'', in memory of the kava plants they undoubtedly brought with them and unsuccessfully attempted to cultivate. The Māori word kawa also means "ceremonial protocol", recalling the stylised consumption of the drug typical of Polynesian societies."

Gallery

Excelsum subsp. excelsum PB220212.jpg Piper excelsum subsp. excelsum PB220213.jpg Piper excelsum subsp. excelsum PB220217.jpg KawakawaLeaves877.jpg, leaves and fruiting spikes Piper excelsum excelsum G.Forst. (AM AK118988).jpg, AM AK119988

Notes

References

External links

*
Kawakawa, In: The Encyclopedia of Alternative & Natural Medicine
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q21306444, from2=Q6725539 Flora of Norfolk Island Magnoliids of Australia excelsum Trees of New Zealand Trees of Australia Spices Ornamental trees Plants used in traditional Māori medicine Flora of Lord Howe Island Māori cuisine Plants described in 1786 Taxa named by Georg Forster