Asystasia gangetica

Description: Clambering herb with purplish zygomorphic flowers. Corolla approx. 4cm long, tubular, with yellow center. Leaves opposite, with subcordate base and acuminate tip.

Habitat: Cultivated in gardens and disturbed areas.

Thunbergia fragrans

Photos: 1 2 3

Description: White flowered climbing vine, petals fused, 5 lobed, tube incurved, stamens 4, leaves hastate, opposite.

Habitat: Coastal, drier spots, can be found along road to juice factory.

Vipopa'a, Tumi Vi, Vi, Mango, Manguier

Habitat: Not naturalized, cultivated for fruit crop in coastal and inland habitats, native to India/Burma.

Notes: Mango of commerce, fruit used for juices, preserves, etc. Bark and leaves used medicinally in other parts of the Pacific.

Annona muricata

Soursop, Corosol

Photos: 1 2

Description: Small tree, shiny petiolate leaves, closely spaced, with an acuminate tip. Fruits large and conspicuous, covered with soft spines that hook away from the base of the fruit.

Notes: Fruit flesh eaten when soft, often made into juices and used in traditional medicine although a modern introduction from South America.

Centella asiatica

Tohetupou, Gotu Kola, Asiatic Pennywort

Description: Low leafy weed, very broadly cordate to reniform, flower with minute petals, fruit orbicular.

Habitat: Disturbed areas, fields, wayside, introduced by Europeans, native to Asia.

Notes: Used only minorly in the Pacific, and usually used as if it were Geophila repens (with which it shares a Tahitian name due to morphological similarity); heavily used in both Eastern and Western herbal medicine, mostly for memory and concentration.

Allamanda blanchetii

Photos: 1 2

Description: Shrub with distinctive large tubular flowers that range from lavender to pink to reddish-purple in color. Leaves opposite or pseudowhorled in groups of four, 4-15cm long, 3-5 cm wide, acuminate tip.

Notes: Native to tropical America; used locally for decoration and costume.

Allamanda cathartica

Golden Trumpet, Monette Jaune

Description: Low shrub-like vine (or vice-versa), commonly grown for its large, yellow, tubular flowers. Leaves oblanceolate, shiny glabrous, stamens hidden by small lobes at base of throat.

Notes: Native to Brazil.

Cascabela thevetia

Piti, Yellow oleander, Be-still tree

Photos: 1 2

Description: Shrub to small tree, leafy, resembles Nerium oleander, leaves to 13 cm long, less than 1 cm wide, flowers bright yellow, fragrant, drupe compressed, turning brown with age.

Notes: Poisonous - contains thevetine, a digitalin analog. Common cultivated plant.

Catharanthus roseus

Madagascar Periwinkle, Pervenche de Madagascar

Description: Short herb, flowers 5-lobed, varying in color, white, pink, or red often with a yellow center, leaves obovate, undulate, opposite.

Nerium oleander

Oleander, Rose-Laurel, Laurier-Rose

Description: Large shrub with narrowly lanceolate leaves and showy flowers ranging from scarlet to white, calyx 5 lobed, leaves whorled.

Plumeria rubra

Tipani, Tipanie, Frangipani, Plumeria, Frangipanier

Photos: 1 2 3

Description: Large shrub or tree, flowers white or red with a yellow center, or variations thereof, flowers fragrant and sweet, 5 petals, 5 stamens, leaves oblanceolate, deciduous.

Notes: Used in the Cook Islands for bites and stings; used for perfumery and lei making.

Tabernaemontana coronaria

Crepe Jasmine, Jasmine Café, East Indian Rose Bay

Description: Shrub with gardenia-like flowers, petals doubled, white with yellow center, fragrant, elliptic to oblanceolate leaves glabrous, margins undulate.

Bidens pilosa

Beggar's tick

Description: Weedy annual, up to 1 m in height (usually much less), leaves opposite, margins serrate, flower head lacking ray florets, disc flowers yellow, tubular, fruit black with 2-3 awns.

Notes: This genus has roughly 10 species endemic to the Society Islands. This particular species is a pantropical weed.

Elephantopus mollis

Tobacco weed, Elephant's foot

Photos: 1 2

Description: Herbaceous perennial herb, hairy oblanceolate leaves mostly basal, cauline leaves generally smaller. Clusters of heads of small white flowers with bristly pappus.

Habitat: Grows in disturbed and drier areas.

Emilia fosbergii

Flora's Paintbrush

Description: Short, weedy discoid composite, corollas red to bright pink, head cylindric, leaves alternate, clasping basally, variably lobed and dentate.

Habitat: Grows in disturbed and drier areas.

Synedrella nodiflora

Nodeweed

Description: Low weed with radiate heads, rays yellow, heads only a few mm in size, heads sessile, leaves ovate with a winged petiole.

Habitat: Grows in disturbed and drier areas.

Tridax procumbens

Coat-Buttons

Description: Short composite with solitary radiate heads on long peduncles, ray florets white, disc florets yellow to tan, leaves 3-lobed, mostly basal with short, stiff hairs.

Vernonia cinerea

Little Ironweed

Description: Purple flowers with white chaff, heads discoid, narrowly cylindric, leaves alternate, simple, plant usually less than 50 cm tall.

Wedelia trilobata

Wedelia

Photos: 1 2

Description: Spreading ground-cover, recent introduction. Heads radiate, broad, yellow ray and disc florets, leaves mostly glossy, dark green, opposite, clasping basally.

Cordia subcordata

Tou

Description: Small trees, leaf blades 10-20cm long, broadly ovate with abrupt acuminate tip, thin, petioles yellowish, 4-12cm long. Corolla orange, tubular, papery, 5-6 lobed. Young fruits green, flattened, ovoid, 2-3cm long.

Habitat: Common on the beach strands and motus, native to Malaysia, aboriginal introduction.

Tournefortia argentea

Tahinu, Tree heliotrope

Description: Shrub to small tree, branchlets with conspicuous leaf scars, leaves hairy, flowers white, in scorpioid cymes, fruit white, globose.

Habitat: Restricted to motu (reef islands).

Notes: Some histroy of medicinal use, mostly used for hardwood.

Carica papaya

I'ita, Papaya, Papayer

Description: Small tree, leaves alternate, clustered apically, variously and deeply lobed, staminate flowers numerous, pendulous, pistillate flowers 1-3 on short peduncles, fruit yellow-orange when ripe, sweet, with numerous seeds.

Notes: Native to tropical America, introduced by early European visits. Cultivated for sweet fruit; seeds used as vermifuge; floral infusion used for elevated blood pressure; fruit paste used to lighten freckles; used world-wide for digestion; enzyme Papain used as meat tenderizer.

Casuarina equisetifolia

Aito, Toa, She-Oak, Ironwood, Beefwood, Horsetail Tree, Arbre de Fer

Photos: 1 2 3 4

Description: Tall tree closely resembling a pine, needles are actually photosynthetic stems with highly reduced leaves, superficially similar to Equisetum, common Horsetail, also produces cone-like floral structures, heartwood is very dense and resists rotting.

Notes: Sap used for making dye; wood used for diabetes, gonorrhea, and nervous disorders; highly astringent due to high tannin levels; hard wood used for carving and boat making.

Calophyllum inophyllum

Tamanu, Calophyllum, Alexandrian Laurel

Description: Large tree, younger stems four-angled, leaves glabrous with highly compressed veins, elliptic to ovate, flowers in many-flowered racemes, petals 4 white, sepals 4 similar to petals, fruit a 1-seeded drupe.

Notes: Oil pressed from seed used widely in the paleotropics for healing wounds and other skin ailments, joint pain, scabies. Leaf infusion used for conjunctivitis. Oil lathers in salt water.

Terminalia catappa

Autara, Autara'a Popa'a, Auari'i-roa, Taraire, Tropical Almond, Myrobalan, Badamier, Mathake

Description: Large tree with whorled branches, fruit a fleshy, winged, elliptic drupe, falls off tree when green, leaves broadly obovate, turning red, flowers small, green-white, 5-lobed, no petals.

Notes: Wood used for construction and carving; used for bronchitis and tuberculosis.

Ipomoea littoralis

Photos: 1 2

Description: Small clambering vine, leaves small, cordate, corolla composed of 5 mostly-fused petals, violet colored with a dark-purple throat, stamens 5.

Habitat: Found most commonly on Motu (reef islands), occasionally in disturbed spots inland.

Ipomoea obscura

Photos: 1 2

Description: Small clambering vine, leaves small, cordate, apex acuminate, corolla composed of 5 fully-fused petals, cream colored with a maroon-purple throat, stamens 5.

Habitat: Prefers rocky slopes, fences, or low ground-cover as a substrate; disturbed areas.

Ipomoea pes-caprae ssp. brasiliensis

Description: Robust vine, leaves emarginate to bluntly obtuse, corolla composed of 5 fused petals, pink with a pink-purple throat, stamens 5.

Habitat: Grows on upper beach of all Motu (reef islands)

Ipomoea violacea

Photos: 1 2 3 4 5

Description: Robust vine, leaves waxy, corolla composed of 5 fused petals, white with a yellow throat, stamens 5, seeds brown, hirsute.

Habitat: Grows on upper beach of Motu (reef islands), especially Temae.

Notes: Commonly called Ipomoea macrantha

Merremia peltata

Pohue

Photos: 1 2

Description: Aggressive liana, leaves peltate, broad, ovate to cordate, flowers white, petals fused, corolla campanulate.

Habitat: Covers an extensive amount of canopy in inland rainforest, often not producing leaves or flowers in the understory.

Merremia umbellata ssp. orientalis

Photos: 1 2

Description: Yellow-flowered climbing vine, flowers in dense umbellate clusters, leaves usually basally truncate, narrowly deltate.

Habitat: Common roadside, often found with Wedelia trilobata.

Acalypha godseffiana

Description: Shrub <5m tall, leaves ovate, petiolate, often green with a coarsely serrate, white leaf margin, however leaves can be mottled green or red.

Habitat: Recent introduction, often grown in gardens along property lines.

Acalypha hispida

Description: Shrub up to 4m or taller, leaves usually green, ovate, although leaf shape and color are variable, with a serrate leaf margin. Pistillate inflorescences pendulous, showy, red to purple in color, 10-50cm long.

Habitat: Cultivated, found along roadsides and in gardens

Aleurites moluccana

Tahii tiairi, Ti'a'iri, Tutui, Tahiri, Candlenut, Kukui Nut, Bancoulier

Photos: 1 2

Description: Small to medium tree, leaves 3-5 lobed, resembling Sycamore, with stellate hairs on juvenile leaves, flowers many, terminal, small, petals white on both staminate and pistillate flowers, fruit walnut-like, waxy.

Notes: "Kukui Nut" Oil is used currently as a moisturizer, also an emetic; shelled and roasted seeds can be burned like candles; source of dyes; nuts edible; bark infusion used for oral sores, coral cuts, and other wounds; used with Phyllanthus virgatus to make massage oil (Tui Roro) used for headaches.

Chamaesyce prostrata

Prostrate spurge

Description: Prostrate herb, leaves opposite, elliptic, cyathia densely packed on short branches, staminate flowers 4.

Habitat: Common lawn and roadside weed.

Notes: Commonly called Euphorbia prostrata

Codiaeum variegatum

Croton

Description: Ornamental shrub with much variation, leaves oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, variously marked in white, yellow, red, and green, inflorescences long racemes, calyx green-white, many varieties cultivated.

Habitat: Ornamental

Manihot esculenta

Maniota, Manioc, Manihot, Maniota, Cassava, Tapioca

Description: Large herb to shrub, petioles long, often tinged red, leaves deeply palmately 3-7 lobed, leaf veins also tinged red at times, flowers terminal, pistillate flowers borne basally, staminate flowers apically, green-white to orange.

Notes: Common food crop, also naturalized in spots, many cultivars with varying levels of edibility, many contain hydrocyanic acid which can be extracted, but sweet varieties are preferred.

Ricinus communis

Castor Bean

Photos: 1 2

Description: Shrub-sized herb, stems hollow, branched, leaves peltate and lobed, seeds mottled with red-purple markings.

Notes: Common cultivated crop worldwide, mostly for highly useful oil extracted from seeds. Ingestion of this plant can be fatal to humans, though the oil is used internally as a purgative.

Albizia falcatoria

"Acacia"

Photos: 1 2

Description: Large tree up to 40m tall, whitish-gray and reddish brown smooth speckled bark and a spreading and tiered canopy. Easy to recognize their morphology from a distance. Leaves pinnately compound.

Habitat: Common at lower elevations along slopes. Introduced.

Notes: Used as a timber tree.

Inga feuillei

Pakai, Pacay, Ice-Cream Bean, Pacayer

Description: Medium to large tree, leaves even-pinnate, rachis (petiole) conspicuously winged, leaflets lanceolate, basally rounded, flowers axillary, racemes of small salverform flowers, white-pink, fruit a large, green pod with shiny black seeds surrounded by a sweet, cottony, edible liner.

Notes: Sweet seed lining eaten.

Leucaena leucocephala

"Acacia"

Description: Scrubby tree, native to tropical America. Essentially a weed, this tree can be found growing in wet valleys and dry scarps forming dense, almost monotypic forests. Leaves with 3-8 pairs of pinnae, each with at least 7 pairs of leaflets, flowers white, 1-2 peduncles per leaf, pods very flat, glabrous.

Notes: Both this species and Albizia are called "Acacia".

Mimosa pudica

Pohe h'avare, Pope Haavare Sensitive Plant, Sensitive Pudique

Description: Prickly prostrate creeper, stems at times purple-red, leaves 2-pinnate, sensitive and to touch, closing upon contact, flowers in pink globose heads, stamens 4.

Senna surattensis

Description: Shrub to small tree, leaflets 6-10 pairs pinnately arranged, ovate-elliptic, racemes many flowered, petals bright yellow, pods up to 10 cm long.

Notes: Grown ornamentally but possibly indigenous.

Alysicarpus vaginalis

Alyce clover

Description: Mat-like prostrate plant, spreading via stolons, leaves stipulate, stipule lanceolate and persistent, corolla typically papilionaceous, up to 6 mm long, red to purple.

Habitat: Common on lawns and disturbed areas, recently introduced.

Crotolaria pallida

Description: Erect subshrub with pubescent stems, leaves with 3 leaflets, difficult to distinguish whether pinnate or palmate, each leaflet ovate to oblanceolate, margin white, terminal racemes many flowered corolla up to 14 mm long, keel strongly curved, corolla yellow with red-orange veins, stamens 10, introduced weed.

Desmodium incanum

Spanish clover

Description: Prostrate to erect subshrub, leaves with 3 leaflets (pinnate), leaflets with white pallor above, corolla up to 7 cm long, red to purple, stamens 10, pod pubescent, sticky, 3-4 cm long, one margin entire, the other undulate.

Inocarpus fagifer

Mape, Tahitian chestnut, Chataignier tahitien

Photos: 1 2

Description: Large tree with conspicuous buttresses, to 30 m tall, leaves oblong, acute to acuminate, flower with white petals, fragrant, fruit 1-seeded with a leathery surface.

Notes: Seed edible when boiled and common in local markets. Many medicinal uses of this species across its range: antihemorrhagic, eases labor pain, used for a variety of skin ailments.

Vigna marina

Pipi Tatahi, Pipi, Tutu Faroa Beach Pea, Haricot du Bord du Mer

Description: Sea-side vine, trifoliate, sparsely pubescent, leaflets orbicular to obovate, apex rounded, racemes up to 15 cm long, corolla yellow, banner wide, keel slightly incurved, style bearded, used medicinally for fevers and various other ailments.

Notes: Various medicinal uses throughout Polynesia, ranging from abscesses to spiritual diseases.

Ocimum basilicum

Miri, Miri Tahiti, Sweet Basil, Common Basil, Basilic Commun

Description: Short herb, grown ornamentally and for culinary use, leaves ovate, serrate, with highly fragrant oil glands, opposite and decussate, glabrous, stems 4-sided, flowers borne in racemes, bilabiate, white.

Notes: Early European introduction. Used for flavor in cooking; scents coconut oil for massage used in Tahiti to ward off evil spirits. Several other species of Ocimum are common wayside weeds in Polynesia.

Cassytha filiformis

Taino'a

Description: Parasitic vine, stems ranging from green to orange, haustoria attaching to host plants, forming tangled mats over low vegetation in seaside areas, flower composed of 3 sepals and 3 petals, fruit a green 1-seeded drupe.

Notes: Sometimes placed in its own family, Cassythaceae. Sometimes used medicinally for hemorrhoids.

Persea americana

Avota, Avocado, Avocatier

Description: Medium to large trees, leaves oblanceolate to elliptic, entire, pinnately veined, flowers borne terminally on branches in dense clusters, perianth yellow-green, roughly 5 mm long, fertile stamens 9, fruit green, pear-shaped with one large seed.

Notes: Grown for its fruit used in cooking and for extracting avocado oil used in the cosmetics industry.

Barringtonia asiatica

Hotu, Hutu, Tira-Hutu, Tua,
Fish-Poison Tree

Description: Medium to large trees, leaves obovate, sessile, becoming striped with red-purple away from veins with age, alternate, clustered near branch tips, flowers terminal, petals 4, white, stamens many, maroon, filaments up to 15 cm long, fruit 4-sided, sepals and style persistent.

Notes: Grated seed used to treat septic wounds; developed fruit (fruit that has fallen from the tree and browned) contains high amounts of saponins harmless to humans but is ichthyotoxic (traditionally used to stun and collect fish).

Gossypium barbadense

Vavai, Cotton, Sea Island Cotton

Description: Shrub, 1-2 meters tall, leaves mostly glabrous, palmately 3-lobed, corolla yellow to pink, fruit usually 4-valved with large amounts of white lint emerging upon opening which is used for production of textiles.

Notes: The species on the Moorea may indeed be Gossypium hirsutum (aka. G. taitense, G. religiosum) however the distinction between G. barbadense and G. hirsutum is slight. G. barbadense is known to have been introduced from America and G. hirsutum has been collected in Tahiti as far back as Banks and Solander on the first voyage of Captain James Cook. Used as an antiseptic in Tonga.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Aoute, Aute, Aute-Maohi,
Aute U'Umu, Hibiscus, Rose of China, Jamaica Flower, Chinese Hibiscus, Shoeblack Plant

Photos: 1 2

Description: Common ornamental shrub, leaves ovate to lanceolate, minorly stellate-hairy, margin dentate to serrate, flowers solitary, petals 5, stamens twisted and fused into a well exserted staminal column, corolla usually bright red, at times pink, purple, orange, yellow, or white.

Notes: Pediatric ailments ("ira"); nausea, vomiting. The Hibiscus of commerce, used in herbal teas and as a food coloring. Also a very common ornamental plant with many varieties.

Hibiscus tiliaceus ssp. hastatus

Purau, Burao, Fau, Hau, Faurau Maire

Photos: 1 2 3

Description: Abundant tree, found from the ocean up to the highest points on Moorea, trunks of soft white wood, leaves up to 30 cm long, cordate with acuminate apices, sepals 5, petals 5, yellow to yellow-orange with dark maroon-purple basally, the yellow fading to pink-red with age, stamens fused into staminal column, can be observed growing in a mangrove-like fashion.

Notes: The wood is used for carving, boat making, floats, firewood, fibers used for rope and net making; medicinal value mostly topical for sores and cuts.

Malvaviscus arboreus

Wax Mallow, Firecracker Hibiscus, Sleeping Hibiscus

Description: Low shrubs with alternate leaves, tomentose, leaves ovate, simple to 5-lobed, flowers borne on pendulous peduncles, never fully opening, corolla bright red, stamens fused into staminal column, slightly exserted.

Thespesia populnea

Miro, Amae, Milo, Pacific Rosewood, Portia-Tree, Bois de Rose-Oceanie

Description: Short trees, leaves with stipules, leaves ovate-cordate to deltoid, glabrous, flowers solitary, white to yellow with maroon center, stamens fused into staminal column, fruit a capsule with multiple seeds and yellow sap used medicinally for centipede stings and other skin ailments, purportedly a symbol of peace to Tahitians.

Notes: Valuable carving wood; symbol of peace in Tahiti, planted near Marae; crushed fruit and sap used for various skin ailments (rashes, ringworm, stings) and headaches.

Artocarpus altilis

Uru, Uru Maohi, Maiore, Uru Anahonaho, Breadfruit, Arbor a Pain

Photos: 1 2

Description: Large tree, branches heavily marked with leaf and stipule scars, leaves commonly 60 cm long, ovate in outline, deeply pinnately lobed, leaves thick, staminate and pistillate flowers borne in spikes, fruit large, roughly spherical with a patterned surface, emitting large amounts of latex upon being picked.

Notes: Widely grown tree with edible fruit which tastes almost, but not quite, entirely unlike bread. Fruit eaten commonly, source of carbohydrates and B vitamins. The fruit is usually prepared by baking it and removing the seeds but can also be sweetened and made into a jam-like desert spread. Wood used for construction of houses and boats; inner bark used to make fabric. Latex used for rashes and other skin ailments, also for sprains and other injuries; juice from leaves used for earaches. Used for a variety of other ailments.

Ficus elastica & prolixa

Photos: 1 2

Description: Giant banyan with adventitious prop-roots and buttresses, leaves up to 45 cm long, oblong-elliptic, glossy, stipules pink, forming figs in axillary, sessile clusters.

Notes: Both species common, Ficus elastica being a recent introduction.

Psidium guajava

Tuava, Tumu Tuava, Tuvava, Guava, Goyavier

Description: Shrub to small tree, partly woody, young stems rectangular, leaves up to 20 cm long, elliptic, veins impressed from above, leaves irregularly yellow-green, flowers white with many stamens, fruit globose, yellow with pink or yellow flesh, native to the Pacific, grows like a weed in exposed areas.

Notes: Frequently used for delicious fruit, usually used in juices or jams due to annoying amount of hard seeds; tannins in plant make it useful as an astringent; used mostly for digestive ailments; mashed shoots used as a styptic; used for a variety of women's ailments.

Syzigium cuminii

Pistache, Pistachier, Pistas, Jamelonier, Jamelonguier

Description: Large tree, glabrous leaves and stems, leaves lanceolate, flowers with 4 white petals borne in cymes with generally at least 3 flowers, stamens many, pink, fruit ovoid, purple to black.

Bougainvillea glabra & spectabilis

Tiare vareau, Bougainvillea

Description: B. glabra: Low shrub, glabrous, weakly spinose, leaves elliptic with acuminate tip, flowers partially concealed by conspicuous, showy bracts usually colored red to magenta, sometimes white, common ornamental plant. B. spectabilis: Description: Shrub, tomentose, stem with curved spines, flowers partially to completely concealed by papery bracts much like B. glabra with similar color variation.

Ludwigia octovalvis

Raau papaa, Primrose-Willow

Description: Herbaceous perennial, leaves alternate, leaves narrowly lanceolate, flowers solitary, petals 4, yellow, notched at the tip, 4 lanceolate sepals alternate petals, stamens 8, surrounding stigma, fruit an 8-ribbed capsule.

Oxalis corniculata

Patoa avaava, Patoa ahia, Wood Sorrel

Description: Perennial creeper, leaves palmately trifoliate, blades obcordate, flower petals 5, oblanceolate and yellow, stamens 10, 5 long, 5 short, 5 styles, fruit pubescent, 5-lobed, cylindrical with acute tip.

Notes: Used for wounds, sore throats, swelling of the tongue. Introduced widespread weed.

Passiflora foetida

Pua Manini, Puka Heahea, Wild Water-Lemon, Love-in-a-Mist, Running Pop

Description: Densely hairy vine with fetid odor (hence the name), tendrils coiled, leaves alternate, 3-lobed, margins wavy, flowers solitary, sepals 5, white internally, surrounded by pinnately branching bracts, petals 5, white, stamens 5, corona white with purple basally, stigmas 3, fruit a globose red-orange berry surrounded by persistent bracts.

Passiflora quadrangularis

Para Pautini, Giant Granadilla

Description: Liana with rectangular stems, tendrils long, leaves glabrous, ovate to elliptic, entire, petals white with pink markings, corona with purple bands, stamens 5, stigmas 3, fruit a green berry up to 30 cm long.

Notes: Fruit an edible type of Passionfruit. Leaves used for cuts in Tonga.

Passiflora suberosa

Description: Tiny vine with highly variable three-lobed leaves, flowers 1-2 cm wide, mostly white, no colored petals.

Habitat: Found at higher elevations in moist habitats.

Canthium barbatum

Torotea, Toroea

Photos: 1 2

Description: Small understory tree with leaves resembling those of coffee. Leaves opposite, 6.5-11cm long, 3-7cm wide with short petioles (<1cm) and a sweeping acuminate tip. Leaves subsend cymes of several flowers on thin pedicels, especially at the ends of branches. Flowers are approximately 1cm in diameter, white, stiff, with 5 pointed petals and hairs in the throat. Fruits are red and peanut-sized with a hard stone inside.

Gardenia taitensis

Tiare Tahiti, Tiare, Tiare Maohi, Tahitian Gardenia

Description: Shrub, glabrous, leaves glossy, leaves obovate to oblanceolate, flowers white darkening with age, petals 7 or 8, sometimes 6, calyx 3-4 unequal lobes, stamens equal in number to petals formed, fruit rare, flower highly fragrant, worn decoratively behind the ear of men and women alike, also used in lei making, medicine, perfumery, and has various culinary applications.

Notes: Extensively used by Tahitians for fragrance, leis, etc.; worn behind the ear by men and women; used for nearly every conceivable ailment.

Geophila repens

Tohetupou

Description: Creeping, prostrate plant, rooting at nodes, leaves reniform, corolla salverform, white, globose drupe maturing to scarlet red.

Notes: Used medicinally as Centella asiatica (with which it shares a Tahitian name due to the similar looking leaves).

Morinda citrifolia

Nono, Noni

Description: Small tree or shrub, leaves opposite, glabrous, up to 45 cm long, elliptic, stems quadrangular, flowers with a sweet scent borne in clusters directly on the developing conglomerate fruit, fruit globose to irregular, green, dense with white flesh with a putrid, acidic taste.

Notes: Used as dye; fruit edible, but not tasty; juice medicinally used for nearly every disease, from boils, to digestion, to blood sugar regulation, to stonefish stings. Sold in U.S. healthfood stores for an equally impressive array of ailments, commonly available from healthfood stores and multi-level marketing companies worldwide.

Mussaenda philippica

Mussaenda, Ashanti Blood

Description: Ornamental shrub, leaves pubescent, ovate to elliptic, opposite, sepals enlarged and pure white, corolla orange, petals 5, stamens yellow, similar to M. erythrophylla in seemingly every way except coloration.

Habitat: Ornamental.

Citrus maxima

Pomelo, Pummelo, Pamplemousse

Description: Trees to roughly 10 m tall, leaves to 20 cm, ovale to bradly ovate, stipules broadly winged (see picture), flowers with white petals, very fragrant, fruit globular, similar to a large grapfruit, green with green-yellow flesh, bitter-sweet.

Notes: Common, edible fruit. Used frequently for juices, jams, and candied peel.

Chrysophyllum cainito

Star apple, Pommier etoile

Photos: 1 2

Description: Trees to 10 m, branchlets coppery, leaf blades elliptic, to 16 cm long, flowers in axillary, umbellate cymes, corolla green-white, ovary sliky, stigma ovoid, fruit fleshy, purple, divided into 1-seeded locules, sweet to taste.

Notes: Fruit edible, not particularly common but available at some local markets.

Wikstroemia foetida

Mou'a, O'ovau, Oaao, Ovau-ao

Photos: 1 2

Description: Small trees, with coffee-brown bark, branches have woody bumps at each leaf base which are persistent petioles. Leaves entire, leathery, with a network of translucent lateral veins. Flowers have 4 light green waxy sepals fused into a tube <1cm in length. Petals absent, stamens orange and visible in the throat of the calyx tube.

Habitat: Exposed drier areas with little or no canopy cover, at low elevations, and in association with introduced grasses and herbaceous plants.

Notes: Cathartic.

Clerodendron thompsoniae

Bag-Flower, Bleeding-Heart Vine, Coeur de Marie

Description: Shrub-like vine (or vice-versa), leaves opposite, elliptic, acuminate, flowers borne in many flowered cymes, corolla red to magenta, stamens and style long exserted, grown ornamentally, close relative of the beautiful Pagoda flower (C. paniculatum) also present on Moorea.

Lantana camara

Tatara moa, Lantana

Description: Weedy herb with dense hair and sharp prickles, leaves ovate, when crushed have a fetid minty odor, flowers borne in a flat head-like spike, corolla salverform, limb spreading, irregular though typical of many flowers of the family, opening yellow and turning pink-red with age, usually making a rainbow of colors on one flower head, grown ornamentally in temperate climes, stamens 4, fruit a shiny purple-black drupe.

Habitat: Aggressive weed, favors dry scarps, frequently found with Psidium guajava (Guava).

Notes: Used as a styptic in Tonga, little used elsewhere; distilled for essential oil in India.

Stachytarpheta urticifolia

Blue rat's-tail

Photos: 1 2

Description: Common herbaceous weed, stem somewhat woody at times, leaves opposite, ovate to elliptic, acute, upper surface rugose, margin dentate, petiole winged, inflorescence a long spike of embedded flowers, corolla purple, salverform, stamens 2, fruit a nutlet.

Habitat: Roots used for broken bones and other physical injuries in Hawaii.

Notes: Cathartic.