General Information

COMMON NAMES: Allspice, Newspice, Pimento, Pepper of Jamaica GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Caribbean - n.S.America COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Not naturalised; Land, lowlands, gardens SIGNIFICANCE LIST: (Cond 2+) KEY FEATURES: A tree to 9m. LEAVES opposite, fragrant when bruised; oval to narrow-oval, to15x6cm; stalk 10-15mm. FLOWERS clusters, ~terminal clusters; white, to 1cmØ; 4 petals and 4 sepal lobes. FRUIT to 7mmØ, ripening dark purple. SIMILAR SPECIES: See under Bay-rum Tree (Pimenta racemosa)

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
-	-	-	-	-	-

Pimenta dioica Linnaeus
TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ROSIDAE; Myrtales; MYRTACEAE

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: (Cond 2+). Comments: The commercially available Allspice is made from the dried unripe fruits. It has the flavour of a mixture of Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Cloves.

GENERAL NOTE: Ripe fruits are used in Jamaica (- the largest producer of Allpspice) to make 'Pimento Dram' a Rum based drink. A leaf-oil is used to make Bay Rum undrinkable (ie to adulterate it).

Vouchers:
Atiu: Motel, 11/2000, no flowers, putative ID GM.

References:
p.634 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.3/305 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM03b, zD02

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