Piper excelsum, commonly known as kawakawa, is a small tree of which the subspecies P. excelsum subsp. excelsum is endemic to New Zealand; the subspecies P. e. subsp. psittacorum is found on Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island and the Kermadec Islands. Piper excelsum is found in both New Zealand and the Society Islands.
Description
Kawakawa is found throughout the North Island, and as far south as Okarito on the West Coast, and Banks Peninsula on the east coast of the South Island. The leaves are often covered with holes caused by the caterpillar of the kawakawa looper moth. The images depict the variety majus which has larger and more glossy leaves than P. excelsum. The name kawakawa comes from the Māori language, where it refers to the bitter taste of the leaves, from kawa or bitter.
Leaves
Kawakawa leaves are about 5–10 cm long by 6–12 cm wide; they are opposite to each other, broadly rounded with a short drawn-out tip and are heart-shaped at their bases. The leaves are deep green in colour if growing in the forest, but may be yellowish-green in more open situations.
Flowers
The flowers are produced on greenish, erect spikes 2.5–7.5 cm long. Kawakawa flowers are quite minute and very closely placed around the spike. After pollination the flowers gradually swell and become fleshy to form small, berry-like fruits that are yellow to bright orange.
Kawakawa is a traditional medicinal plant of the Māori. An infusion is made from the leaves or roots, and used for bladder problems, boils, bruises, to relieve pain or toothache, or as a general tonic. The sweet edible yellow berries of the plant were eaten as a diuretic. It also is important in cultural contexts: host people of a marae wave leaves of kawakawa to welcome guests. At a tangi, both hosts and guests may wear wreaths of kawakawa on the head as a sign of mourning. It is commonly grown as an ornamental plant in gardens.
Kawakawa is sometimes called "Māori kava" and is often confused with the kava plant. While the two plants look similar and have similar names, they are different, albeit related, species. Kava is a traditional plant and beverage of the South Pacific. The roots of the plant are used to produce a drink with medicinal, sedative, anesthetic, euphoriant, and entheogenic properties. It is most likely not a coincidence that this plant has a similar name to kawakawa. One source stated: "In New Zealand, where the climate is too cold for kava, the Maori gave the name kawa-kawa to another Piperaceae, M. excelsum, in memory of the kava plants they undoubtedly brought with them and unsuccessfully attempted to cultivate. The Māori word kawa also means "ceremonial protocol", recalling the stylised consumption of the drug typical of Polynesian societies."
