Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR)

Piper auritum
(Piperaceae)
Vera Cruz pepper, anise piper, eared pepper, root beer plant

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Species description or overview Taxonomy & nomenclature Pest alerts Impacts Control methods
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False kava (Piper auritum) is a shrub-like plant that can grow to 19 feet high. It is sometimes mistakenly planted as true kava (Piper methysticum). However, the leaves differ from true kava, which are smaller and darker green; false kava leaves are larger and lighter green. There is a characteristic root beer or anise-like odor when leaves are crushed. True kava is used to create an herbal drink, but Piper auritum is reportedly detrimental to kava-producing areas, as it is evidently inferior in quality to Piper methystichum and can, if exported as true "kava," reduce the marketing value of true kava from places where this substitution is practiced. 

Species description or overview

Piper auritum information from PIER
Information on Piper auritum as relevant to Pacific Islands is provided by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER).

Taxonomy & nomenclature

ITIS nomenclature info for Piper auritum
Nomenclatural information about Piper auritum is provided by ITIS.

Pest alerts

False awa "Weed of the Week" pest alert View info about Adobe Acrobat PDF format
False awa is the featured "Weed of the Week" on the radio program sponsored by Kauai Community Radio and the Kauai Invasive Species Committee (KISC). This pest alert is available on KISC's "Weed of the Week" site.

Impacts

False awa (false kava) (Piper auritum) Weed of the Week radio program transcript View info about Adobe Acrobat PDF format
False awa is the featured "Weed of the Week" on the radio program sponsored by Kauai Community Radio and the Kauai Invasive Species Committee (KISC). This transcript describes the impacts of this species on Kauai.

Piper auritum (Piperaceae): species information from GCW
Information on Piper auritum as relevant to Pacific Islands is provided by the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Control methods

Piper control methods View info about Adobe Acrobat PDF format
Potential control methods of false kawa are in this memo from USDA Forest Health Coordinator.

Images

Images of Piper auritum from HEAR
Images of Piper auritum (Piperaceae) (false awa, false kava) are presented by the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Photos of Piper auritum on Pohnpei
Images of Piper auritum on Pohnpei are presented here, along with copies of selected e-mail correspondence about this species.

Images of Piper auritum (Piperaceae) (false awa)
Links to high-resolution free images of Piper auritum (Piperaceae) (false awa) by Forest & Kim Starr (USGS) are available here.

Piper auritum information from the Smithsonian Flora of the Hawaiian Islands  new posting 
Information about Piper auritum in Hawaii is available from the Smithsonian Flora of the Hawaiian Islands.

Piper auritum images from PIER
Images of Piper auritum provided by the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER).

Distribution

Piper auritum information from the Smithsonian Flora of the Hawaiian Islands  new posting 
Information about Piper auritum in Hawaii is available from the Smithsonian Flora of the Hawaiian Islands.

Plants of Hawaii: Piper auritum -- MAPS
Nomenclatural information about Tamarix gallica is provided by ITIS.

False awa (Piper auritum) overview from the Hawaii Invasive Species Council (HISC).
Description, impacts, images, and distribution in Hawaii of false kava are from HISC's high-profile invasive pests site.

Full-text articles

Control of non-native plants in natural areas of Florida
Langeland, K.A. and R.L. Stocker. (1997-)2001. Control of non-native plants in natural areas of Florida. SP 242, one of a series of the Department of Agronomy, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. First printed: 1997. Revised: April, 2001.

Radio shows

False awa (false kava) (Piper auritum) Weed of the Week radio program transcript View info about Adobe Acrobat PDF format
False awa is the featured "Weed of the Week" on the radio program sponsored by Kauai Community Radio and the Kauai Invasive Species Committee (KISC). This transcript describes the impacts of this species on Kauai.

Other resources

A report of Piper auritum as an invasive species (10 APR 2000). View info about Adobe Acrobat PDF format
Observations of false kawa on Pohnpei are in this memo from USDA Forest Health Coordinator.

Piper auritum in Hawaii: notes from Bishop Museum botanist View info about Adobe Acrobat PDF format
Information about Piper auritum's status in Hawaii is provided by George Staples (botanist, Bishop Museum [Honolulu]).

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The Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk (HEAR) project is currently funded by the Pacific Basin Information Node (PBIN) of the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) through PIERC (USGS) with support from HCSU (UH-Hilo). More details are available online. Pacific Basin Information Node (PBIN) National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII)
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