Kingdom Plantae Genus Macropiper Order Piperales | Family Piperaceae Rank Species | |
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Macropiper hooglandii , commonly known as Kava, is a flowering plant in the pepper family. The specific epithet honours Dutch botanist Ruurd Dirk Hoogland.
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Description
It is a shrub growing to 2–3 m in height. The aromatic, alternate, heart-shaped leaves are 7–12 cm long and 8–13 cm wide. The flowers have no petals; the male flowering spikes are 10 cm long, the female 6 cm. The fleshy, 10 mm diameter berries are hard, red and pungently peppery when ripe. The flowering season is from September to November, with the fruit ripening from March to May.
Distribution and habitat
The species is endemic to Australia’s subtropical Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea. It is locally common as an understorey plant on basaltic soil in moist, shady conditions, from the summits of the island’s mountains down to an elevation of about 50 m along streams.