1916] 



HOFFSTADT— PIPER MET II YSTICUM 



117 



called Ava or Kava, the natives extracting from its roots the national 

 beverage bearing that name. 



It becomes a shrub 1-1.5111. in height and is propagated 

 mostly by cuttings. No seedlings were obtainable. The leaves 

 are ovate, 18-25 cm. in diameter, with a deep cordate base and 

 a short accuminate apex. The blade is bright green, smooth 

 above, and bears tine multicellular hairs on the veins beneath. 

 It is distinctly petioled, the petiole having a sheathing base and 



Fig. 1. — Piper methysticupi growing in Same 



a deciduous stipule. The leaves are alternate and the dense 

 flower clusters are borne opposite them. The internodes are 7-10 

 cm. long, the nodes being swollen, smooth, and in the older ones 

 irregularly spotted. Both old and young stems have an herba- 

 ceous appearance. The largest nodes examined were 2.75 cm. 

 in diameter, and the smallest were 2 mm. 



For the sake of comparison Piper umbellatum (Heckeria umbel- 

 late Kunth) was used, the material being obtained from plants 

 brought from Mexico. In shape and size the leaves resemble 

 those of Piper mclltystieiim. The petiole has a sheathing base; 



