Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Cyclophyllum barbatum

Mātira

Cyclophyllum

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Branch, fruit, flower and leaves	69KB

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

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

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

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.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List