About Gouania lupuloides (L.) Urb.
Gouania lupuloides (L.) Urb. is distributed from northern Mexico down to the northern edge of South America, and east to the West Indies. It grows abundantly along the edges of clearings, but occurs only occasionally in the forest canopy. This species flowers from November to March, which is typically the early dry season; it does not flower often in March, and rarely flowers during the rainy season. Fruiting can occur as early as January and as late as May, with the peak fruiting period falling in March and April. In Jamaican Patois, this vine is called a wis, also spelled wythie. For use as teeth cleaner, a section of the vine is cut, its bark peeled off, and the tip is chewed. The chewed tip becomes fibrous and frothy. This plant, commonly called chewstick, has a slightly bitter taste that is not unpleasant. It is an ingredient in commercial toothpaste, and it is also used as an ingredient in Jamaican ginger beer.
