Common names:

• kava  (Source: World Econ Pl) - English
• kava pepper  (Source: Dict Econ Pl) - English
• kava-kava  (Source: Pl Res SEAs) - English
• kawa pepper  (Source: Pl Book) - English
• yanggona  (Source: F Viti) - Fijian
• ava  (Source: Pl Res SEAs) - French
• kawa-kawa  (Source: Pl Res SEAs) - French
• Kawapfeffer  (Source: Dict Rehm) - German
• Kavaka  (Source: Dict Rehm) - Spanish
• kava-kava  (Source: Kulturvaxtdatabas) - Swedish

Economic Importance:

• Human food: beverage base (fide F Viti; Pl Res SEAs 16:106. 2000)
• Medicines: folklore (source of kawain fide Import Medicinal Pl; CRC MedHerbs ed2; Herbs Commerce ed2; Pl Res SEAs 16:106. 2000)
• Social: narcotic (fide Pl Book; Pl Res SEAs 16:106. 2000)
• Social: religious/secular (fide Pl Book; Pl Res SEAs 16:106. 2000)
• Social: stimulant (fide Pl Book; Pl Res SEAs 16:106. 2000)

Distributional Range:

Native

Pacific

• NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC: Micronesia (possibly native on some islands)
• SOUTHWESTERN PACIFIC: Vanuatu (possibly native)


Cultivated (cult. throughout Oceania)

Naturalized (sometimes natzd. throughout Oceania)

References:

1. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource on www.skud.info). 2012 (Kulturvaxtdatabas)
2. Mabberley, D. J. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2. 1997 (Pl Book)
3. Rehm, S. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants. 1994 (Dict Rehm)
4. Smith, A. C. Flora vitiensis nova. 1979-1991 (F Viti)
5. Uphof, J. C. T. Dictionary of economic plants, ed. 2. 1968 (Dict Econ Pl)
6. Vossen, H. A. M. van der & M. Wessel, eds. 2000. Stimulants (Pl Res SEAs) 16:106.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2024. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN-Taxonomy).
National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL: http://germoplasma.iniaf.gob.bo/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=28587. Accessed 18 mayo 2024.