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Mussaenda raiateensis

Kōtuku

Pacific Mussaenda

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Pacific Mussaenda, Pacific Flag-tree

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Kōtuku (RR); Other Polynesian - Aloalo Vao (SAM)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Vanuatu - Societies

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Land, mountains (+++)

KEY FEATURES: Kōtuku (Pacific Flag-tree) is a upright shrub, which is scattered throughout the Slope Forest, Ridge Forest and on the edges of Fernlands. It has terminal bunches of opposite, large, velvety leaves (< 20 cm). During summer the large, white sepal, associated with each yellow flower, is visible from afar. The Māori name notes the resemblance of the white sepal to the white form of the Kōtuku (Reef Heron), which is rare on Rarotonga.

Enlarged Image of 'Mussaenda raiateensis'

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

Mussaenda raiateensis J.W. Moore
SYNONYMS: Mussaenda frondosa [sensu, incl. TC/GW]

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

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Mangaia: reported, 9/2000, A.Tuara.

References:
p.4/177 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.282 I Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.102 Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.372c Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands
p.111 McCormack/Kunzle - Rarotonga's Mountain Tracks and Plants

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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