the compleat involucel

[Pierre Abbat]

On Tuesday 22 January 2002 01:05, Jean-Joseph Cote wrote:
> Pierre: Coffee is in the same family as gambier, so if no one votes for
> this, I'll be madder than a cat's claw.
> [Not sure how mad that would be (or what you're talking about), but
> thanks to Kir for saving us from it!  And you can always count on
> Elliott.  J-J]

Gambier is Uncaria gambir. Cat's claw is U. tomentosa. Both are in the family 
Rubiaceae, along with coffee, ixora, cinchona, gardenia, and madder.

The "betel nut", with which gambier is chewed, is actually the areca nut; 
betel is a species of pepper (Piper, not Capsicum) whose leaves are chewed 
with areca.

phma