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Weinmannia samoensis

Kaiatea

Samoan Weinmannia

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Samoan Weinmannia

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Kaiatea (RR)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Southern Polynesia (Samoa, Rarotonga)

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native, Endemic of s.Polynesia; Land, mountains (++++)

KEY FEATURES: Spreading, medium-sized tree to 12m. LEAVES opposite with 2 round and leafy stipules (early shed); compound; leaflets (1-) 3-5 (-7), as pairs+one. LEAFLETS long-oval, to 12x4cm; edge toothed; glossy green. FLOWERS white and small, forming several slender bottlebrushes. FRUIT small, ripening red.. NOTE: A spreading tree, to 12m, common from mid-elevations to the Cloud Forest. A native of Samoa and Rarotonga, but in the fossil record for Mangaia up to 1000 years ago. Our species was formerly thought to be endemic to Rarotonga, but is now included in one of the Samoan species. Fiji has 5 Weinmannia - all endemic. In the 1920s Wilder recorded Kaiatea for this species and for Ascarina, although the name has not been recorded since then. The plant has no recorded uses.

Enlarged Image of 'Weinmannia samoensis'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea: -
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

Weinmannia samoensis A.Gray
SYNONYMS: Weinmannia rarotongensis [TC/GW]

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ROSIDAE; Rosales; CUNONIACEAE

More Information

IDENTIFICATION: Spreading tree to 12m. LEAVES opposite, compound with (1-)3-5(-7) leaflets; stalk to 5cm, with 2 round and leaf-like stipules - soon shed. LEAFLETS paired+one terminal; glossy green, long-oval, to 12x4cm, edge toothed, base usually asymmetrical, tip obtuse, stalk absent. FLOWERS on slender bottle-brushes; small and white. FRUITS small, ripen red

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.278 IE Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.53 Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.416 Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands
p.116 McCormack/Kunzle - Rarotonga's Mountain Tracks and Plants

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02, zupD04b

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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