Kava Botany Need Help With ID On Possible Kava In Costa Rica

[ShawnTheDirtyHippie]

Hello there! I am currently in Quepos, Costa Rica and I think I may have stumbled upon a few Kava plants here but I am not 100% sure and I would appreciate some help with an ID! Thanks in advance!

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

Looks like piper auritum to me, which is native to central america

 

[ShawnTheDirtyHippie]

I

Looks like piper auritum to me, which is native to central america

I think you're correct. After some research the smell desribed online is exactly what I'm smelling when I take a whiff of the leaves.

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

I

I think you're correct. After some research the smell desribed online is exactly what I'm smelling when I take a whiff of the leaves.

pretty plant, tho. Just don't smoke any

 

[ShawnTheDirtyHippie]

pretty plant, tho. Just don't smoke any

Haha, smoking it didn't even come to mind! I was thinking more about it's culinary uses though!

 

[recentreturn]

Plants are awesome. That's cool you spotted that. I never thought to look to see similarities between the appearance of kava and other pepper plants; pretty striking.

 

[ShawnTheDirtyHippie]

Plants are awesome. That's cool you spotted that. I never thought to look to see similarities between the appearance of kava and other pepper plants; pretty striking.

I was surprised as well! I was almost certain it was Kava until I smelled it's leaves.

 

[The Kap'n]

That really looks like actual Piper Methysticum to me. Piper Auritum's center vein in the center of the leaf is where the other veins in the leaf connect. Methysticum leaf veins all radiate from the center of the leaf as shown in the pictures above.

Piper Auritum pictured below

 

[The Kap'n]

https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/info/invasive-species-profiles/false-kava/

 

[Alia]

I

I think you're correct. After some research the smell desribed online is exactly what I'm smelling when I take a whiff of the leaves.

Piper auritum has a longer leaf and a midrib through the center with veins branching out along it. The leaf pictures you provide do have have that feature.
There are Macropiper species with leaves such as in your pictures.

 

[ShawnTheDirtyHippie]

That really looks like actual Piper Methysticum to me. Piper Auritum's center vein in the center of the leaf is where the other veins in the leaf connect. Methysticum leaf veins all radiate from the center of the leaf as shown in the pictures above.

Piper Auritum pictured below
View attachment 8912

It does look strikingly similar to actual Kava. The smell of the plant is exactly what is desribed for Piper Aritum online though. I have chewed quite a bit of raw Kava root living in Hawaii and it never smelled like this.

 

[The Kap'n]

It does look strikingly similar to actual Kava. The smell of the plant is exactly what is desribed for Piper Aritum online though. I have chewed quite a bit of raw Kava root living in Hawaii and it never smelled like this.

I'll have to rely on those members here who handle fresh kava from the ground, but I would almost bet money the smells of the leaf would be quite similar.

 

[ShawnTheDirtyHippie]

Piper auritum has a longer leaf and a midrib through the center with veins branching out along it. The leaf pictures you provide do have have that feature.
There are Macropiper species with leaves such as in your pictures.

Macropiper?

 

[ShawnTheDirtyHippie]

I'll have to rely on those members here who handle fresh kava from the ground, but I would almost bet money the smells of the leaf would be quite similar.

Kava leaf doesn't have much of a smell in my opinion and from my expirence growing it. This plant on the other hand smells heavily like black licorice or fennel.

 

[The Kap'n]

Kava leaf doesn't have much of a smell in my opinion and from my expirence growing it. This plant on the other hand smells heavily like black licorice or fennel.

Ah ha. Seeing a live kava plant is still on the bucket list. So much experience among the members here. I truly hope you've found Kava in Costa Rica. That would make my month, week, year. The smell lines up from what I'm reading and obliviously what you're experiencing, but the leaf... Man that leaf looks so Kava-y I want to dig it up and eat the roots.

 

[Plantacious]

So if you positively ID'd the suspect as Kava, what would have done ? Taken him into custody ?

 

[ShawnTheDirtyHippie]

Ah ha. Seeing a live kava plant is still on the bucket list. So much experience among the members here. I truly hope you've found Kava in Costa Rica. That would make my month, week, year. The smell lines up from what I'm reading and obliviously what you're experiencing, but the leaf... Man that leaf looks so Kava-y I want to dig it up and eat the roots.

It is definitely a priviliedge to cultivate Kava! I was lucky enough to harvest and help grow 50+ year old Kava plants of three different strains when I lived in Hawaii. Theres nothing like chewing on a raw fresh root! I think I'll go dig up a root and do a test chew now! I'll let everyone know how it goes.

 

[kavamehameha]

Piper Auritum's center vein in the center of the leaf is where the other veins in the leaf connect. Methysticum leaf veins all radiate from the center of the leaf as shown in the pictures above.

I just was going to say that. @ShawnTheDirtyHippie , this is definitely NOT Piper Auritum, as its veins radiate from a common point. Macropiper can have similar leaf structures, but their leaves are usually more "glossy". Thus it quite looks like Piper Methysticum.

 

[ShawnTheDirtyHippie]

So if you positively ID'd the suspect as Kava, what would have done ? Taken him into custody ?

It will be taken into immediate custody!!! Haha

 

[ShawnTheDirtyHippie]

I just was going to say that. @ShawnTheDirtyHippie , this is definitely NOT Piper Auritum, as its veins radiate from a common point. Thus it quite looks like Piper Methysticum.

The only thing left to do at this point is to dig it up and start chewing!