Captain’s Log: Botany Tour of French Polynesia

16th October 2012

Daniela’s Photo essay to follow

1. Coconut – many uses. See Yannay and Daniela’s projects. Also leaves used for roofing.

2. Taro – a root like a potato. High in calcium which it is claimed by the locals is why they are big boned. Also claimed by some that Taro was plentiful in Asia until replaced by rice which grew as a weed among the Taro. Leaves are used like spinach.

3. Vanilla – a type of orchid. Grow on a vine. Imported from Mexico and pollinated by hand.  Tahiti now a major producer of vanilla essence. All hand pollinated. Very labour intensive.

4. Rosewood – excellent for turning. Uses from fruit bowls to boats. The fruit has a yellow colorant for nail polish or used to die cloth.

5. Tamanu – the oil soothes itches, rashes, sunburn and other skin conditions.

6. Traveller Tree – contains up to 2 liters of water

7. Longi Longi – the perfume of this flower is used in high end perfumes and not surprisingly has a familiar smell.

8. Hybiscus – multiple uses (see video) ropes, hoola skirts, floss, string, aluminum foil, toilet paper. The flower is yellow in the morning, turns red by the afternoon and falls off the tree.

9. Lemon Grass – mixed with palm oil it keeps mosquitoes at bay.

10. Drum Tree (see video) found along rivers and used as a drum to communicate with others up and down the river.

11. Wild Basil – used as a n antiseptic, it numbs the mouth.

12. Papaya

13. Banana

14. Wild Passion Flower – does nothing.

15. Mango

16. Gardenia – is worn behind the ear to indicate whether you are available for a relationship or not.

17. Breadfruit – beautiful tree.

 

Plants arrived in French Polynesia carried by the jet stream (about 50) by sea (about 200) through bird droppings (about 700) by boat from Philippines/Indonesia  brought by Polynesians  and later by Europeans. Altogether about 2800 of which we can recall 17.

 

Here are a few of the 2800 whose names we couldn’t recall.

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