Cook Islands Biodiversity & Natural Heritage
 

Cyclophyllum barbatum

Mātira

Cyclophyllum

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Cyclophyllum, Canthium

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Mātira (RR), Māriri (MG), ‘Orotea (AT MK), Orotea (MT)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Carolines - Solomons - Marquesas

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group only (Rarotonga and the makatea islands); Land, mountains (++++)

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Materal (Wood)

KEY FEATURES: Slender tree to 10m, trunk to 20cmØ, with a topknot of short horizontal branches. LEAVES opposite, along branch in one plane to adjacent pairs at right angles (=decussate); wide-oval, to 9x5cm, glossy green with network of pale veins; edges smooth, base tapering, tip drawn-out and acute; stalk short, to 5mm. FLOWERS axillary, small cluster; each stalked, small, 7mmØ; petals 5 oval, white to cream. FRUITS tear-shaped tapering to base, to 15mm, ripen red; seeds 1-2.

Enlarged Image of 'Cyclophyllum barbatum'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map View Distribution Map

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

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

Key to Symbols

Scientific Taxonomy

Cyclophyllum barbatum (G.Forster)
SYNONYMS: Canthium barbatum [incl. GW]; Plectronia barbatum [incl. TC]; Chiococca barbatum [Varieties under consideration]

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ASTERIDAE; Rubiales; RUBIACEAE

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Materal (Wood). Comments: MATERIAL: Timber limited use due to small size, but durable and hard.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.4/234 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.283 I Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.100 Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.378b Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands
p.109 McCormack/Kunzle - Rarotonga's Mountain Tracks and Plants

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zupM03a, zD02, zupD06a

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. Copy citation to system clipboard
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