Cook Islands Biodiversity & Natural Heritage
 

Nicotiana tabacum

‘Ava‘ava

Tobacco

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type Description Download
Open this image in pop-up window Image: Flowers and leaves 63KB
Open this image in pop-up window Image: Tobacco - Samoa market 65KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Tobacco

TRADITIONAL NAMES: ‘Ava‘ava (RR MG AT MK MT AK), Avaava (PK); Other Polynesian - Tapaka (TON), Tapa‘a (SAM)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE w.S.America

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Not naturalised; Land, lowlands

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Medicine, Fumery (Leaf 0+); Poisonous to inhale smoke; Poisonous to insects

Enlarged Image of 'Nicotiana tabacum'

Cook Islands Distribution

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

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

Key to Symbols

Scientific Taxonomy

Nicotiana tabacum Linnaeus
TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ASTERIDAE; Solanales; SOLANACEAE

More Information

GENERAL NOTE: Formerly, occasionally cultivated to make tobacco. The toxic alkoloid, nicotine, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, irregular pulse and, in extreme cases, death. (Arnold 1968)

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.1262 Wagner et al.- Flowering Plants of Hawaii
p.752 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.895 Tropica
p.5/037 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.290 R* Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.96 * Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.359f Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

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

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. Copy citation to system clipboard
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