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Hernandia nymphaeifolia

Puka

Lantern Tree

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Lantern Tree

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Puka (RR MG MK MT AK PL), Puka Tāvōvō (AT), Pukaama (TS TW MH RK PK NS); Other Polynesian - Pu‘a (SAM)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Asia - Micronesia - Pitcairn

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Land

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Medicine, Material (Adornment)

KEY FEATURES: A large tree to 20m.

Enlarged Image of 'Hernandia nymphaeifolia'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
+IR	++?	++?	++++	++?	P

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

Hernandia nymphaeifolia (Presl)
SYNONYMS: Hernandia peltata [incl. TC/GW]; Biasolettia peltata [O]

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); MAGNOLIIDAE; Laurales; LAURACEAE

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Medicine, Material (Adornment). Comments: MATERIAL: Timber favoured by borer, soft - easily worked, very light, stains well.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Pukapuka: fieldspecimen, 2/2004, very common esp. near Taro areas, used for mulch, ID GMcC.

References:
p.2/110 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.293 I Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.52 Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.394e 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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