General Information

COMMON NAMES: Alphitonia TRADITIONAL NAMES: Toi (RR); Other Polynesian - Toi (TON), Toi (SAM), Toi (TAH) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Vanuatu - Societies COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Land, mountains (+) (Ridge forest) SIGNIFICANCE LIST: ; Nationally endangered (seriously)Material (Wood) KEY FEATURES: A large spreadingTree to 25m. LEAVES: along the branches; alternate; green on top, silvery fur underneath; narrow-oval; to 15x 5cm [LxW]. FLOWERS: arising at leaf bases; small clusters; held above the plane of the leaves; ?white. FRUIT: clusters above plane of leaves; flattened-spherical; brownish-purple; to 1cm [Ø]; each fruit is partially covered by a cap where it is attached to the stem. SIMILAR SPECIES: None.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

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

Alphitonia zizyphoides (Spreng.)
SYNONYMS: Alphitonia excelsa [sensu TC]; Rhamnus zizyphoides

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ROSIDAE; Rhamnales; RHAMNACEAE

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
BIODIVERSITY: Nationally endangered (seriously). Comment: Known from a few trees at low to mid-elevation in a few valleys of Rarotonga.
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Material (Wood). Comments: MATERIAL: Very hard wood used for clubs, spears, tool handles (Wilder 1931). Alphitonia is known by the name Toi also in Tahiti and elsewhere in Polynesia (Whistler 1990). Timber very dense with a close grain, yellow in colour.

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.541 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.3/692 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.275 I Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.70 Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.407a Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands
p.66 McCormack/Kunzle - Rarotonga's Mountain Tracks and Plants

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM03a, zD02

Web Resources

• Google
• Google Images