BOTANY. 329 



C. cordifolia. An under-shrub. Entire plant co- 

 vered with a brown pubescence. Flowers white. 



Inhabits moist and sheltered plains ; Oahu, Sand- 

 wich Isles. 



C. triftora. Sandwich Isles. 



Justicia Sp. This is a tall and elegant herb, usually 

 seen entwined around the cactus. Its flowers are red, 

 and grow in terminal clusters. 



Cape St. Lucas, California. 



DIANDRIA. TRIGYNIA. 



Piper methysticum. This is the kava or ava of most 

 Polynesian nations. It grows in dense thickets, and 

 attains the height of ten or twelve feet. Its character 

 of growth is similar to that of the bamboo : many 

 naked, jointed, and rather distorted stalks arising from 

 a common root, and terminating in branches thickly 

 covered with leaves ; the joints of the stalk marking 

 the progressive ascent of the foliaceous branches. 

 The leaves are alternate, and have rather long pe- 

 tioles ; they are broad, heart-shaped, and smooth, 

 are much veined, and have a sombre-green colour. 

 The fructification is a cylindrical spadix, of light- 

 yellow colour, and placed opposite to the insertion of a 

 leaf. 



The entire plant has, when chewed, a pungent taste, 

 and deadens the sensations of the tongue. It is only 

 the root that is employed by the South Sea Islanders 

 to prepare the intoxicating drink which they call ava, 

 and for this purpose they prefer the recent root to that 

 which is dried, as they believe that when in the latter 

 state its qualities are impaired. Drinking rather less than 



