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Inocarpus fagifer

I‘i

Polynesian Chestnut

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Trunk, leaves, fruit and flowers	57KB
Image:	Leaves, flowers and fruit (1)	55KB
Image:	Leaves, flowers and fruit (2)	57KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Polynesian Chestnut

TRADITIONAL NAMES: I‘i (RR MG MK AK), ‘Ī (AT MT), Chestnut (PL), Māpē / Ihi (TS TW), Ihi (RK), Ī (PK); Other Polynesian - Ifi (SAM), Mape (TAH)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Malesia - Fiji - ?Samoa - ?Tonga - ?

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Polynesian, Naturalised; S.Group - common; N.Group - rare; Land, lowlands - mountains (+++)

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Medicine, Food (SD 3+)

KEY FEATURES: Massive tree to 30m, with deeply fluted trunk. LEAVES large, oblong, to 30x12cm, base with 2 round lobes, tip obtuse; dark green and firm when mature, but pale and soft when new; stalk 1cm, thick. FLOWERS fragrant; on stalks, ~10cm, with 20-30 in ~4 spiralling rows; white, 15mmØ; petals 6, ribbon-like, crinkled, 10x2mm. FRUIT ~kidney-like, to 9x7x5cm; yellow-green; outer layer very tough and fibrous; seed large to 7x5x3cm.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

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

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

Pests & Hosts

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Relationship	Pests
Herbivorous pest	Rhodoneura sericatalis,

Scientific Taxonomy

Inocarpus fagifer (Parkinson)
SYNONYMS: Inocarpus edulis; Inocarpus fagiferus

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ROSIDAE; Fabales (Legumes); FABACEAE

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Medicine, Food (SD 3+). Comments: The large starchy seeds are eaten boiled or baked, and they are grated and cooked with coconut cream to make a pudding called Kanakā.

GENERAL NOTE: Probably Abo Intro into Eastern Polynesia. Important boundary marker (GM). Seed commonly eaten (AW90). Occasional ingredient in vai rakau (AW90).

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Pukapuka: fieldspecimen, 2/2004, G.McCormack with ID as Inocarpus fagifer.

References:
p.436 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.3/161 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.277 I Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.59 Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.363a Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands
p.99 McCormack/Kunzle - Rarotonga's Mountain Tracks and Plants

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zupM05a, 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.
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