General Information

COMMON NAMES: Native Jasmine TRADITIONAL NAMES: ‘Āketa (RR), Pirita (MG AT MK MT) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE New Guinea - n.&e.Australia - Societies COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group - common in inland RR and in makatea forest on rasied-islands; N.Group - absent; Land, mountains (+++) SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Material (Fibre) KEY FEATURES: High-climbing vine with slender, tough stems. LEAVES usually opposite; compound; 3 leaflets. LEAFLETS oval, to 8x5cm; edge smooth; tip elongate and sharp. FLOWERS in loose cluster, fragrant, small; corolla white, tube to 10mm, 5 lobes to 5mm. FRUIT round, 15mmØ, ripening purple to black.

Cook Islands Distribution

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

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

Jasminum didymum G.Forster
SYNONYMS: Jasminum didymum didymum [range n.Australia - Fiji - Societies]

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ASTERIDAE; Scrophulariales; OLEACEAE

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Material (Fibre). Comments: On the makatea islands the strong, slender stems are woven to make freshwater-eel traps (called ‘inaki).

IDENTIFICATION: A high-climbing, slender-stemmed vine. STEM very strong. LEAVES opposite pairs (sometimes triplets), compound, leaflets 3 (=trifoliolate); stalk to 3cm. LEAFLETS oval, to 8x5cm; tip long drawn-out, and sharp; base obtuse. FLOWERS many in loose-branching array; fragrant at night; corolla white, tube to 10mm and 5 lobes to 5mm. FRUIT round, to 15mmØ, ripening purple to black; seed 10mmØ.

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.4/126 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.286 I Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.87 Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.355b Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands
p.86 McCormack/Kunzle - Rarotonga's Mountain Tracks and Plants

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zupM03a, zD04b

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