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Achyranthes velutina

Kōpū Varu (AT)

Polynesian Chaff-flower

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Image:	Leaves and flower ID?	48KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Polynesian Chaff-flower, Achyranthes

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Tumu ‘Enua (MG), Kōpū Varu (AT MK), Piripiri (MT), Taumakomako (PK)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Southern Polynesia (Samoa - Tokelau - Cooks - Tuamotu)

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native, Endemic of s.Polynesia; Land, coastal lowlands

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Medicine

KEY FEATURES: An erect or sprawling woody herb to 2m. LEAVES opposite, oval, 15cm, tapering base, woolly, petiole to 2.5cm. FLOWERS terminal spike to 30 cm; 7mm long, green. FT ovoid, 7mm, 1-seeded.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Chaff-flower Weed (Achyranthes aspera) has leaves only slightly pubescent.

Enlarged Image of 'Achyranthes velutina'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
-	++	+++	++	++++	-	-	P	-

Northern Group: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	+	-	-

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Achyranthes velutina Hook. & Arnott
TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); CARYOPHYLLIDAE; Caryophyllales; AMARANTHACEAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Pukapuka: fieldspecimen+photo, 2/2004, G.McCormack with ID as Achyranthes velutina.

References:
p.401e Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
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