Piper auritum Kunth, Piperaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Reject, score: 15 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Hawaiian sakau, Vera Cruz pepper, ainse pepper, eared pepper, false kava, false sakau, root beer plant

Pohnpeian: sakau likamw

Samoan: ‘ava Tonga

Spanish: Santa María, anisillo, cordoncillo, hierba santa, hinojo, hoja de la estrella, hoja santa, sabalero

Tongan: kava Hawai‘i

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "A small, soft wooded, commonly more or less aromatic tree, 3-6 m tall; flowering internodes moderately sender and long, striate, often drying black, glabrate or sometimes slightly pubescent; leaves ovate, oblong- or elliptic-ovate, or rarely subovate, 12-20 cm wide x 30-30 cm long or up to 25 x 40 cm or more, apex acute or short-acuminate, base deeply cordate with one side 1-2 cm longer at the petiole and with the lower lobe longer, sinus rounded, the midrib with 3 or 4 up-curved branches from below the upper third and 3 or 4 branches from the base, rather thinly short-hairy above, at least along the nerves, more densely so beneath, densely white ciliolate throughout, drying thin, translucent; petiole 4-9 plus 1-2 cm long, more or less pubescent or glabrate, vaginate-winged to the blade; spikes creamy or light-yellow when dry, 3-5 mm thick X 10-25 cm or sometimes more long; peduncle slender, 2-8 cm long, glabrate, often black when dry; bracts round- or triangular-subpeltate, marginally fringed; fruit small, glabrate, obpyramidal-trigonous; stigmas 3, sessile.  The thin, deeply and inequilaterally cordate leaves which are more or less pubescent on both sides and densely ciliolate, long, blackening peduncles, and comparatively small, yellowish spikes distinguish this species.  The leaves vary considerably in size"  (Trelease, 1950; pp. 133-134).

"Soft-wooded aromatic shrub 1-2 m or tree to 6 m high; leaves ovate to ovate-elliptical, acute or subacuminate, 20-30 (-40) cm long, 12-20 (-25) cm broad, the margin densely white-ciliate; spikes whitish to light yellow, pendulous, 10-25 cm or more long, 3-5 mm thick, fruit 3-gonous"  (Adams, 1972; p. 212).

"A common succulent herb, Piper auritum has broadly ovate to oblong-ovate leaves with deeply chordate, unequal bases supported on heavy winged petioles that clasp the stem.  Large, thin, soft leaf blades are pinnately veined, with a few lateral veins.  Opposite the leaves stand the single, straight, simple spikes of numerous tiny, pale green flowers.  The straight spike of flowers and the winged petiole on the leaves distinguish this Piper from P. aduncum"  (Mason and Mason, 1987; pp. 292-294).

"Easily recognized by the thin leaves of unusual form with a dense margin of short hairs along the edge and the sarsaparilla-like odor when crushed"  (Berger, 1971; 104-105).

Habitat/ecology:  Among Costa Rica's ninety-four species of pipers, Piper auritum (Piperaceae) is easily recognized by its large (20-50 cm) leaves unequally lobed at the base, its preference for open to partly shaded secondary growth, and the very characteristic sarsaparilla or anise-like odor of crushed leaves.  In Costa Rica the species ranges from near sea level to about 1,500 (rarely 2,000) m elevation in evergreen and partly deciduous formations or in wet sites in the deciduous formations of Guanacaste.  The species ranges from Mexico to Colombia and appears to be quite uniform throughout this range with no evidence of subspecific or varietal differentiation."

These plants grow to about 6 m in height with a single main stem that often has small prop roots near the base.  The large leaves are borne in two alternate ranks and are often held horizontally on horizontal upper branches, thus forming a broad light-intercepting crown with relatively few large leaves.  Piper auritum appears to be a fast-growing, relatively short-lived, treelet of early successional habitats (cf. Gomez Pompa, 1971).  When found in a forest, it is never found in dark, deeply shaded sites but rather grows in areas that have an opening in the canopy or are fairly well illuminated.  The flowers are very small and tightly packed in long, slender arching or drooping spikes borne opposite the leaves. The fruits are very small (less than 1 mm) and tightly packed on the spike.  The fruits of this species and many other pipers are known to be eaten by bats, which play the major role in seed dispersal (Janzen, D. 1978).

"Piper auritum is sometimes encountered in fairly large even-age stands, dominating smaller secondary growth.  But the species may also be very scattered, with only isolated individuals in a given area.  This patch distribution (despite its status as a very common second-growth species) is a common pattern in a small tropical country that boasts almost half as many species of flowering plants as the entire United States" (Berger, 1983).

"A very common species of forest edges and open sites between sea level and 1,200 m elevation and occasionally as high as 2,000 m.  Found in all the moister areas of Costa Rica and in moist situations (stream beds) in the deciduous forest areas of Guanacaste"  (Berger, 1971; 104-105).

Propagation:  Seed, possibly spread by birds and bats; suckers profusely.

Native range:  Mexico, Central America, northern South America and the West Indies.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Waterhouse, Barbara (year unknown) (p. Voucher specimen) Voucher: BMW 5781 (BISH, BRI, GUAM)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 123) Voucher cited: B.M. Waterhouse BMW5781 (BISH, BRI, GUAM, PTBG) Invasive
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, Jim (2004) Cultivated and naturalizing. Eradication activity underway.
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (2000) (voucher ID: BISH 687691) Taxon name on voucher: Piper auritum Kunth
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (2000) (voucher ID: BISH 687692) Taxon name on voucher: Piper auritum Kunth
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2000) (voucher ID: PTBG 36978) Taxon name on voucher: Piper auritum Kunth
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Parker, James L./Parsons, Bobby (2012) (p. 71) Voucher cited: J. Parker & R. Parsons BIED151 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R./Imada, Clyde T. (2006) (p. 8) Voucher cited: D.H. Lorence & B. Stevens 8521 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim (2011) (pp. 29-30) East Maui. Voucher cited: Starr & Starr 001212-02 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R./Imada, Clyde T. (2006) (p. 8) Vouchers cited: T. Takemoto s.n. (BISH 712562), N. Matayoshi s.n. (BISH 713184), N. Matayoshi s.n. (BISH 713196)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Savai‘i Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 10)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 10) Voucher: Flynn 6940 (PTBG, US, SAMOA)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 41365) Taxon name on voucher: Piper auritum Kunth
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Ha‘ano Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 8) Voucher: Flynn 6872 (PTBG, AD)
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Ha‘ano Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2001) (voucher ID: PTBG 238) Taxon name on voucher: Piper auritum
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Lifuka and Foa Islands	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 8)
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	‘Uiha Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 8)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	‘Eua Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 8)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 8) Voucher: Flynn 6818 (PTBG, AD, BISH, US)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (2001) (voucher ID: BISH 687361) Taxon name on voucher: Piper auritum Kunth
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2001) (voucher ID: PTBG 254) Taxon name on voucher: Piper auritum
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 8) Voucher: Flynn 6846 (PTBG, AD)
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2001) (voucher ID: PTBG 263) Taxon name on voucher: Piper auritum

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	probably introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Comments:  Very invasive in Tonga (Space & Flynn, 2001) and becoming so in Samoa (Space & Flynn, 2002).

Cultivated and naturalized in Cuba (GRIN).

Control: 

Physical:  "Difficult to control mechanically because the roots break when pulled"  (Englberger, 2009; p. 4).

Chemical:  "Tricopyr (Garlon 4) can be used as foliar application on young plants.  For older plants a cut-stem application with undiluted Garlon 4 can be used"  (Englberger, 2009; p. 4).