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

2 to 8 cm wide, green to light-green, alternate, spirally arranged, simple, oblong-
lanceolate, acute to acuminate, leathery (coriaceous) and somewhat shiny, pinnately-
nerved, midrib prominent, young leaves often reddish; petioles up to 5 cm or more long,
somewhat flattened on the upper surface; flowers, small, about 4 to 8 mm in diameter,
numerous, yellowish-white to pinkish-white, 4- to 5-parted corolla, densely covered with
short yellowish hairs, in large branched terminal panicles, 10 to 50 cm long; fruit, 8 to
20 cm long, fleshy, fibrous, ovoid, pointed or rounded edible drupe, with thick, smooth,
green to yellow-orange or reddish skin, sweet, juicy, yellow-orange to dark orange pulp,
and a large, flattened, fibrous, ribbed seed case containing one seed. Large fruit and
shade tree planted in home gardens and found growing in mature spontaneous stands near
Buada Lagoon. Fruit eaten ripe and green, with ripe fruit occasionally made into jam on
Nauru; used for firewood. The leaves, and sap from leaves and fruit, can cause an
allergic rash. Common introduckd fruit tree, found in houseyard gardens, agricultural
areas and naturalized throughout Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia, possibly an
aboriginal introduction in some areas, but not on Nauru; an important cash crop for local
sale and export in Polynesia, Melanesia and the larger islands of Melanesia. 2, 3(58643),
5(147), 6, 7.
Spondias dulcis Park. "Polynesian vi apple", Polynesian plum", "Otaheiti apple"
dagimadere, "Egigu's tree" (N)
syn. S. cytherea: Sonn.
Aboriginal introduction? Pacific Islands. Rare. Medium to large stiff-branched,
smooth, grey-barked, deciduous tree, up to 15 m or taller; leaves, 20 to 40 cm long,
alternate, odd-pinnate, clustered at branch ends; leaflets, up to 8 cm or longer and 2.5
cm wide, commonly 4- to 12-paired, with a single unpaired terminal leaflet (8 to 25 in
total), shiny, bright green, oval-lanceolate or oblong, acuminate, base acute, entire to
finely toothed (crenulate); flowers, tiny, 5-parted, male, female and perfect, develop in
large, lax crowded panicles; fruit, up to 8 cm or longer, oval-obovate edible drupe with
green to yellow-orange skin and light green to dark yellow pulp, surrounding a single, 5-
ridged, fibrous seed case with 1 to 5 seeds. Reported present by Burgess in 1935. The
tree, which formerly stood near Buada Lagoon, was reportedly damaged during World
War 11, and although the Nauruans tried to save it by shoring it up with cement, it died
shortly thereafter. Four seeds sent by R. Thaman to J. Audoa in 1981 in an attempt to
reintroduce S. dulcis, but the result of plantings is unknown. One tree, 3 m tall, seen re-
established in fenced food garden surrounding Buada Lagoon in July 1987. Ripe fruit
eaten. Tree features in the well-known Nauruan legend concerning a young woman,
Egigu, who became the Nauruans' "woman in the moon", after climbing the tree
(dagimadere), restoring the sight of a blind women Enibarara who lived at the top, and
marrying her third son,Maramen (the moon). 2, 7.