Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Solanum mauritianum

Rau ‘Ava‘ava

Tobacco Tree

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Leaves, fruit and flowers	98KB
Image:	Leaves, flowers and fruit	52KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Tobacco Tree, Wild Tobacco Tree, Wild Tobacco Bush, Woolly Nightshade

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Rau ‘Ava‘ava (RR); Other Polynesian - Polo (SAM)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE se.Brazil - ne.Argentina

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Naturalised; S.Group only (RR, AK); Land, lowlands - mountains (+++)

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Fumery (Flower 0+); Invasive - moderate, Weed - moderate

KEY FEATURES: Small shrubby tree, to 4m. YOUNG STEM very furry. LEAVES alternate, oval, usually 25x10cm (young to 35x15cm), topside green and finely furry, underside pale and densely furry; edge smooth, tip sharp; stalk to 5cm, furry; w/wo green, asymmetrical leaflets (=pseudo-stipules) to 2x2cm. FLOWERS terminal cluster, stalks and sepals furry; each 15mmØ; petals 5, purple-blue, oval 8x5mm, anthers central and yellow. FRUITS round, to 15mm, ripen dull yellow. SEEDS numerous, flat, 2mm long.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

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

Solanum mauritianum Scop.
SYNONYMS: Solanum auriculatum [incl. TC/GW]

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

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Fumery (Flower 0+)
NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Invasive - moderate, Weed - moderate. Comments: In open areas in the mountains and lowlands. Requries control in horticultural areas.

GENERAL NOTE: Formerly, occasionally used as a substitute for Tobacco.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.1271 Wagner et al.- Flowering Plants of Hawaii
p.1092 Royal Hort. Soc. Index of Garden Plants
p.5/009 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.289 R* Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.96 Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.359g Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands
p.103 McCormack/Kunzle - Rarotonga's Mountain Tracks and Plants

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM03a, zupM03b, zD05a

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.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List