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Traditional Pacific Island Crops: Kava

The goal of the Traditional Pacific Island Crops Web site is to provide organized access to quality, free Web resources that provide information on these twelve important traditional Pacific Island crops. This is not intended to be a comprehensive listing

Key Web Resources for Kava (Piper methysticum)

 

kava leaves image

 

Piper methysticum is known by many indigenous names throughout the Pacific. Among the most well known are ‘awa in Hawaii, kava in Tonga, sakau in Pohnpei, and yoqona in Fiji. Outside of the Pacific region, it is commonly known as kava. The greatest genetic diversity of kava is in Melanesia, especially Vanuatu which is considered the most likely place of origin. Kava was carried throughout the Pacific by ancient voyaging societies.

The most important kava product continues to be the traditional beverage made from the roots and stump of the plant. Modern pharmaceutical uses are based on the psychoactive properties of the kavalactones. Because of its use in modern and alternative medicines, kava has become a valuable cash crop in the Pacific. However, much of what is produced is still consumed locally. Most production occurs in Vanuatu, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Pohnpei, and Hawaii.

IN THIS BOX are links to COMPREHENSIVE or OVERVIEW web resources on this crop.

For web resources on SPECIFIC TOPICS, select the appropriate category in the BOX BELOW.

Specific Topics for Kava (Piper methysticum)

No free, full-text resources have been found for this specific topic.

In many cases, the documents linked in the Key Web Resources section above will provide some information on this topic. Additional information may also be available by searching the resources in the Databases tab.

Please email us if you know of resources for this page.

No free, full-text resources have been found for this specific topic.

In many cases, the documents linked in the Key Web Resources section above will provide some information on this topic. Additional information may also be available by searching the resources in the Databases tab.

Please email us if you know of resources for this page.

No free, full-text resources have been found for this specific topic.

In many cases, the documents linked in the Key Web Resources section above will provide some information on this topic. Additional information may also be available by searching the resources in the Databases tab.

Please email us if you know of resources for this page.

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