Piper hooglandii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Piper hooglandii |
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Piper
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hooglandii
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Piper hooglandii, often called kava, is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the plant family called Piperaceae. The plant's scientific name, hooglandii, was chosen to honor a Dutch plant expert named Ruurd Dirk Hoogland.
What Kava Looks Like
This plant is a shrub that can grow to be about 2 to 3 meters (6 to 10 feet) tall. Its leaves are shaped like hearts and have a nice smell. Each leaf is usually 7 to 12 centimeters (3 to 5 inches) long and 8 to 13 centimeters (3 to 5 inches) wide.
The flowers of the kava plant do not have petals. The male flowers grow on spikes that are about 10 centimeters (4 inches) long. The female flowers grow on shorter spikes, about 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) long.
After flowering, the plant produces berries. These berries are round, about 10 millimeters (0.4 inches) across, and turn red when they are ripe. They are quite firm and have a strong, peppery taste.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
Kava plants usually bloom, or flower, between September and November. Their fruits then ripen a few months later, from March to May.
Where Kava Grows
This special plant is only found in one place in the world: Lord Howe Island. This island is part of Australia and is located in the Tasman Sea.
Kava is quite common on Lord Howe Island. It often grows as a smaller plant under taller trees. It likes to grow in damp, shady spots where the soil is made from basalt rock. You can find it from the tops of the island's mountains down to about 50 meters (164 feet) above sea level, especially near streams.
