Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Chamaesyce fosbergii

Totototo

Polynesian Beach-Spurge

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Upland Rarotonga - white petals present	52KB
Image:	Upland Rarotonga (2)	37KB
Image:	Mitiaro - white petals present	47KB
Image:	Mitiaro - white petals absent	59KB
Image:	Aitutaki - white petals absent	52KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Polynesian Beach-Spurge

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Totototo (RR AT MK MT AK), Kōtotototo (MG); Other Polynesian - Pulu Tai (SAM); COMMENT: Is Akoko a Cook Islands name?

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Southeast Polynesia (Cooks - French Polynesia)

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native, Endemic of se.Polynesia; S.Group - common and widespread; N.Group - absent.; Land, mountains (+++) (rock-ridges), coastal

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Games

KEY FEATURES: Erect or semi-erect shrub to 2m. STEM to 15mmØ, sap white. LEAVES opposite, green, fleshy, without hairs, oval, to 2cm. FLOWERS terminal clusters of flower-like cyathia. CYATHIUM 3mmØ, cuplike, edged with 4-5 green glands each w/wo a white petalloid; centre with minute non-petalled unisexual flowers; female one, with protruding ovoid ovary; male many, each with one stamen. FRUIT round with 3 ridges, green.

Enlarged Image of 'Chamaesyce fosbergii'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group: -
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

Chamaesyce fosbergii Florence
SYNONYMS: Chamaesyce atoto [of authors]; Euphorbia atoto [of authors]; Euphorbia chamissonis [of authors, incl. TC/GW]

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ROSIDAE; Euphorbiales; EUPHORBIACEAE. COMMENT: Euphorbia atoto included plants from Sri Lanka eastward to Tuamotus [Smith, Fiji Flora]. However, J.Florence [Flora FP] concluded that Euphorbia atoto is an endemic of Tahiti. B.Sykes has concluded (pers.comm.) that all Cook Islands Euphorbia atoto and Euphorbia chamissonis belong to Florence's new species Chamaesyce fosbergii.

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -. Comment: NBSAP - Takitumu (6 of 6 wild plants)
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Games. Comments: "Invisible ink" - sticky milky sap used to write words on skin which dry clear then appear (magically) when dust or ashes are brushed over the area (Whistler 1990).

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.2/573 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.294 I Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.66 Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.407f Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands
p.123 McCormack/Kunzle - Rarotonga's Mountain Tracks and Plants

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zupM03a, zD03a, zupD04b

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.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List