Rank Species | Tribe Gouanieae Scientific name Gouania lupuloides | |
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Similar Gouania, Trichostigma octandrum, Fevillea cordifolia, Hyptis verticillata, Begonia obliqua |
Gouania lupuloides, known as chewstick or whiteroot, is a plant of the family Rhamnaceae. In Jamaican patois a vine is called a wis (wythie). To clean one's teeth with this plant one cuts off a portion of the vine, peels off the bark and chews the tip. The tip becomes fibrous and frothy. Chewstick tastes slightly bitter but not unpleasant. The plant is used to make a commercial toothpaste. Chewstick may also be used as an ingredient in Jamaican ginger beer.
References
Gouania lupuloides Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA