khat

Slender, straight, East African tree (Catha edulis; family Celastraceae). Reaching a height of 80 ft (25 m), the khat tree has large, oval, finely toothed, bitter-tasting leaves. Its best-known relatives are the ornamentals euonymus and bittersweet. Khat leaves are chewed for the stimulants they contain, and the drug is central to social life in some countries.

Find more information on khat. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on khat.