atoll research bulletin no. 392 the flora of - Smithsonian Institution ...

HERNANDIACEAE (Hernandia Family)
Hernandia nymphaeifolia (Presl.) Kubitzki "Ian tern tree"
etiu, yetiu, etsiw (N); te niinareburebu, te bingibing (K); puka, puka vaka (T)
syns. H. sonora L.; H. peltata Meissn.; H. ovigera senus auct. non L.; Biasolet-
tia nyrnphaeifolia Presl
Indigenous. Trop. Asia to Pacific Is. Rare. Medium to large tree, up to 20 m
high, with a shortly buttressed trunk and smooth grayish, slightly fissured bark; leaves,
12 to 40 cm long and 10 to 30 cm wide, alternate, rounded-ovate, acute-acuminate,
subpeltate to peltate near base, glabrous, softly leathery, medium green (the ventral
insertion of the petiole usually red), palmately 5- to 9-nerved from petiole; petiole, 5 to
17 cm long; inflorescence, a densely-flowered axillary and terminal long-stalked,
tomentose cyinose panicle of numerous, unisexual but monoecious, white to yellowish-
white flowers, 12 to 30 cin long; involucre, green to whitish or pinkish, slightly fleshy,
subtended by 4 bracteoles; each cyme composed of 3 pedicellate white to pale green
flowers, the 2 laterals males, the center one female; male flowers, about 7 mm long, 3-
merous; female flowers, 4-merous; style up to 5 mm long; fruit, about 2.5 cm in
diameter, broadly obovoid-subcompressed, nut-like, brown, nearly smooth, somewhat
ribbed, enclosed in an enlarged, fleshy, white or grayish to reddish succulent balloon-like
vesicle with a circumscissile opening; seed 1. Tree on or near base of escarpment. Very
light wood, which is sometimes found in the form of driftwood, used for canoe outrig-
gers, pull-floats for fishermen to tie fish to, and corks for bottles; fruit rubbed against
rock to burn each other in traditional games. 5(10), 6, 7(27819).
LAMIACEAE OR LABIATAE (Mint Family)
Coleus amboinicus Lour. "Indian borage"
syns. Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng.; Coleus aromaticus Benth.
Recent introduction. Africa and India to Indonesia. Rare. Very aromatic, densely
pubescent, somewhat succulent, low sprawling or ascending perennial herb, up to 1 m
high, with sub-quadrangular to subterete stems; leaves 2 to 11 cm long and 1.5 to 9 cm
wide, opposite, broadly ovate to suborbicular, acute to broadly rounded (obtusish), base
cuneate or rounded to truncate, coarsely crenate to dentate (toothed), succulent, finely
pubescent on both sides, fragile; petioles 1 to 5 cm long, densely pubescent; inflorescence,
a long simple (unbranched) terminal spicate panicle up to 50 cm or longer bearing
numerous ( up t~3OOrmmoT~whorl~~~wer~-onn~hort-pdi~efsatinterva;fs~f
dxm t 4
to 2 cm; bracts, 3 to 4 ~nm long; pedicels slender, hirsute, up to 5 mm long; calyx 1.5 to
4 mm long, campanulate, hirsute and glandular, the upper lip erect, broadly ovate-
oblong, the other teeth narrow, very acute; corolla, 7 to 12 mm long, pale blue or violet
to pink, the tube 3 to 4 ~n~n long, declinate, expanding distally, pubescent without, the