ShawnTheDirtyHippie
Kava Curious
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!
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.Looks like piper auritum to me, which is native to central america
pretty plant, tho. Just don't smoke anyI
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.
Haha, smoking it didn't even come to mind! I was thinking more about it's culinary uses though!pretty plant, tho. Just don't smoke any
I was surprised as well! I was almost certain it was Kava until I smelled it's leaves.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.
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.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.
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.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
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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.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.
Macropiper?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.
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.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.
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.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.
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.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.
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.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.
It will be taken into immediate custody!!! HahaSo if you positively ID'd the suspect as Kava, what would have done ? Taken him into custody ?
The only thing left to do at this point is to dig it up and start chewing!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.