Aneityum

n. Grewia inmac

Example: Leaf: infusion taken internally against pain

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 442

v.n. to blossom as reeds

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 129

n. wild kava (RPV #133)

Scientific name: Macropiper latifolium, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. flax

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 151

n. subshrub, 0. 5 to 0. 7 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3212)

Example: The common name of this plant means "the plant that belongs to Nasuantan" that being the person who introduced it to Aneityum. He was a person taken from the island as a blackbirder and came back with this plant. It is used for medicine. When a person gets a fresh cut, squeeze the juice from the leaf and put the liquid on the cut to help it heal.

Scientific name: Stachytarpheta jamaicensis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. large tree, 15 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4073)

Example: 1. Flying foxes are known to eat the fruit. Accordingly, when hunters desire the flying fox, they gather near this species.

Scientific name: Dysoxylum aneityense, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree, 7 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3464)

Example: This is a sacred plant. The wood is used for rafters in house building. To plant taro, take an 8 cm diameter stick, sharpen it and use to make holes for planting. The stick is as long as needed for a person to stand while making the hole.

Scientific name: Syzygium nomoa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. sedge to 1 m, flowers brown (collection: Michael J. Balick #4883)

Example: Children pull up the new young shoots and eat them. You eat the white soft part at the base of the part that comes off when you pull it. See photo.

Scientific name: Gahnia aspera, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. scandent shrub, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3277)

Scientific name: Neuburgia corynocarpa, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3548)

Example: The forked stick of this plant is used as a pole to hold the outrigger on a canoe. Children blow the small fruits of this plant through the hollow petioles of the papaya leaf or a hollowed bamboo stem as a game. As an aphrodisiac, two handfuls of the leaves of this species are boiled in fresh water and men drink these for 7 days. The next week they will be "strong." People cannot have sex while they are drinking this remedy, but then the next week when they have finished the treatment, they will be "very strong."

Scientific name: Vitex trifolia, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. herb, growing in disturbed secondary forest/garden area. Sterile; leaves fragrant. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3695)

Scientific name: Hornstedtia scottiana, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. herb to 1 m, flowers white (collection: Michael J. Balick #4868)

Example: Red fruit is used to feed chickens.

Scientific name: Rivina humilis, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. liana climbing on Fagraea tree (8 m tall), growing in secondary forest (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3663)

Scientific name: Piper macropiper, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3560)

Example: In ancient times this plant was used as a fiber to make skirts and rope. Take the stems, remove the leaves, rett the stems in sea water for a few weeks, sun dry the stems and then weave into rope or skirts. This plant is not much used for this purpose at the present time. This plant is used to make a medicine with an unspecified use.

Scientific name: Abutilon indicum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. epiphyte, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4104)

Example: 1. This plant is considered bad luck when hunting or fishing. When doing these activities, do not decorate your hair with them. 2. This plant is used to weave the sheath portion of "nambas". First the stems are retted, then the inner portion of the plant removed. Once removed, the sheath is woven with the blanched fiber. 3. This is considered the male version of this plant. See GMP #4105, Phlegmarius sp. for the female version.

Scientific name: Phlegmariurus phlegmaria, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. epiphyte, growing in secondary forest along trail above river. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3664)

Example: This plant is used to make a head garland, but if you are going hunting or fishing do not put this on your head as you will not be successful in your quset. This is the grass skirt for the spirits; you can hear them but you cannot see them.

Scientific name: Phlegmariurus phlegmaria, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. epiphyte on dead log, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4105)

Example: 1. This plant is considered bad luck when hunting or fishing. When doing these activities, do not decorate your hair with them. 2. This plant is used to weave the sheath portion of "nambas". First the stems are retted, then the inner portion of the plant removed. Once removed, the sheath is woven with the blanched fiber. 3. This is considered the female version of this plant. See GMP #4104, Phlegmarius sp. for the male version.

Scientific name: Phlegmariurus squarrosus, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3621)

Example: Good for covering laplap or stone oven. Remove hot stones, put leaves down, then food, then hot stones, then put the leaves down again to cover everything.

Scientific name: Codiaeum variegatum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. a convolvulus with blue or reddish flowers

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. a foreign convolvulus

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. a convolvulus with white flowers; also "inmauwad ahi"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. shrub, 1. 25 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3525)

Example: The young leaves are edible, after boiling for 5 minutes. A piece of coconut and a pinch of salt is wrapped in the leaves and eaten. The mature leaves are used to wrap food such as pig or cow meat and cooked in an earth oven. Tie this bundle with a piece of Pandanus fiber to secure it before putting in the earth oven. Both the green and ripe fruits are edible. This plant is used in kastom ceremonies. For a peace ceremony, if there is an argument, then this leaf is used to make peace between the parties. For many ceremonies, put on top of taro, kava or food pile, . For peace ceremony, when a person has food in an offering, give a branch of this plant to the other party to symbolize that the conflict is over. It is a "message plant" that conveys a meaning that people do not have to say out loud. When a stranger walks through a village with this plant in his or her hand, people know there is no threat or problem. When a young man first shaves, people give him a necklace of this plant. In the old days, hair was pulled out of young men, now people use razor blades.

Scientific name: Euodia hortensis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree, 12 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3286)

Scientific name: Calophyllum neoebudicum, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. shrub. Found along village pathways and in gardens. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #15)

Example: 2. To cure headaches casued by bad spirit - Take one top from Nelmaha and one from inrowod (white stripe variety) Combine and chew these then spit them out and apply to the sick persons forehead.

Scientific name: Cordyline terminalis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. the name of a plant with a white flower; a lily

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 88

n. tree. Growing in village garden. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #22)

Example: 1. Timber for houses, hard wood. 2. Fruits have a highly desirable nut that is edible when fresh after cracking the fruit. 3. Medicine – 5 young tips, boiled in 3 cups of water, and steam eyes when have conjunctivitis. 1x. 3. Calendar plant – When the leaves turn red and are ready to fall off from the tree – the lobsters are ready to be harvested – best time to harvest lobsters. Firm tasty meat. This was a traditional population management so that lobsters were not harvested year around but only during this season, Oct–Nov, for a month or 1.5 months.

Scientific name: Terminalia catappa, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree, 12-14 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3640)

Example: The seeds of this species are eaten, the fruits are cracked open and the seeds removed. However, perhaps of 10 fruits, maybe only 3 have seeds for eating. The flowers are known to have a very pleasant fragrance.

Scientific name: Terminalia sepicana, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. grass to 3 m, flowers brown. Growing in degraded secondary forest along trail. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4969)

Example: The stem of this plant is used to make walls of houses. Collect the stem and remove the leaves, and then take one of the bush vines (any of them) and tie the stems into bundles for making house walls or fences for chicken pens. Children make a whistle from a hollow piece of stem from this plant.

Scientific name: Miscanthus sinensis, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. flower

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. a flower

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 89

n. herb, growing in coastal forest. Flowers yellow. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3446)

Scientific name: Wollastonia biflora, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree, 14 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3586)

Example: To make a fire, take a 1-2 cm diameter stick, sharpen it and rub it against a larger piece, ca. 6 cm in diameter. As a person rubs, the stick will start smoking and then start a fire, especially if there are a few small slivers of stem on the stick that can catch fire. People use other types of sticks to rub against the larger piece as well, and this will make a fire.

Scientific name: Aceratium oppositifolium, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree. Growing near village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #5)

Example: 1. To cure spirit sickness of the niteitau. Use plants that also end with "au" : niditau, intoutau, naoyerop. Go to the top of the plant to get the soft leaves of the plants niditau, intoutau, naoyerop, also take the bark. The person making the medicine should be holding the these leaves with a piece of nelmaha. Nelmaha means go away. The sick person chews the leaves and bark and swallows the juice spitting out the fiber into the nelmaha the medicine maker is holding. The medicine person then takes the spit out fiber in the nalmaha leaf and throws it into the sea in front of the village. 2. For a baby that is not doing well, as with malnourished, take 4-5 leaves, put in warm water and wash baby – 1x day for 3 days. 6. Use to make temporary house.

Scientific name: Trema cannabina, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. liana climbing on large Dillenia tree, growing in primary forest at edge of river. flower white. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3677)

Example: If a person is building a temporary house and has no other way of attaching the poles, collect the vine of this species, roll it a bit to break the fiber, heat it in a figure 8 form and then use for tying poles while warm.

Scientific name: Jasminum didymum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. Melastoma malabathricum (RPV #132)

Scientific name: Melastoma malabathricum, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3205)

Example: 1. Plant this tree at each of the four corners of a fence to keep your pigs in and protect against a type of bad luck. If a man sleeps with his wife who is having her period, and then the man goes to see the pig, the pig will suffer and not grow strong and not have many piglets. So the presence of this plant controls against bad luck that others can bring to your pig farm. 2. This is an ornamental plant grown around the home. Sticks of this plant are planted around the outside of the garden and grow to create a fence, to protect the crops and keep them healthy, as well as protect the crops from people that are not cleansed in the ritual way. 3. This species is also planted around the house to add color and is very decorative in general. 4. For fertilizer in taro holes for water taro. For baly(?) taro and water taro, lay these flat on the surface of the charcoal, then lay the food – taro, cassava – on this and cover with another layer, add hot stones and cook. 4. Pig food, goat food.

Scientific name: Codiaeum variegatum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3539)

Example: The fruit of this species are poisonous. In ancient times the ancestors used the "fork" (branch growing out of main stem) of this wood to catch lobsters between the two parts of the stem. v

Scientific name: Ochrosia elliptica, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. Achyranthes aspera L.

Example: juice squeezed from leaves; taken internally against asthma and put into boils

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 439

n. tree, 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4069)

Scientific name: Delarbrea paradoxa, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3576)

Example: This plant is used to make a temporary house along the coast. It is considered "namba one" for shade. It is also an unspecified "message plant.

Scientific name: Leucaena forsteri, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4766)

Scientific name: Cf. Tapirira guianensis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. young vine, still erect (1 m tall) (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3551)

Example: The leaves of this plant are used as a soap. People collect the leaves and mash them and dip in fresh water and use the water to wash their bodies.

Scientific name: Colubrina asiatica, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. flax

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 151

n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3613)

Example: Used to make small poles for house rafters.

Scientific name: Myristica fatua, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. terrestrial fern, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3712)

Example: The very young leaves of this plant are edible.

Scientific name: Ptisana smithii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. treelet to 1 m, sterile. In transition zone from pine forest to scrub forest. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4981)

Example: The wood is used to make a fishing spear. Cut the straight stems, heat it in fire, straighten it as much as needed, cool the stem, peel the bark off of the stem and let it cure for 1 month. In the past, the end of the spear was carved into a sharp point and used for fishing. Now steel rods are placed on the tip to catch the fish. This is used in shallow water (fresh water or sea water) as the wood is heavy and can sink. People making these spears go to older forests that are higher up to collect the wood.

Speaker: Tony Keith

n. shrub to 2 m, coastal vegetation (collection: Michael J. Balick #4961)

Example: The stem of this plant is used for firewood. If a person has been drinking kava and the next morning feels hung over, they can take a handful of the leaves of this plant, crush them in cool water, and wash their face with this. This treatment will help the kava feeling to disappear.

Scientific name: Dendrolobium umbellatum, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. epiphytic liana climbing up main trunk of garcinia pseudoguttifera, growing in primary forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4014)

Scientific name: Freycinetia impavida, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree to 15 m tall, dbh 40 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4859)

Example: The wood of this tree is good for carving. The fibers go in one direction so it is easier to carve, for example, to make a kava bowl. In general, this is the species used to make kava bowls. If your kava is not strong, then making it in this bowl will make it stronger. The kind of bowl made from this tree has a handle on each side of the bowl and it is held with 2 hands. The place name Anumwmamlau is named after this tree. There are said to be two types of this tree--one with all green leaves (this specimen) and one with white and green leaves. If a person is going to a Tabu place and is concerned about spirits, they should take a handful of these leaves and wash the body all over with it--take a swim (bath) with it. Then the person can go to the Tabu place without risk. There are other unspecified spiritual uses of this tree. The second part of this local name "elwa" refers to the variegation of the leaves.

Scientific name: Phyllanthus ciccoides, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. shrub to 3 m, dbh 3 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4876)

Example: When a person is walking a long way, put pieces of the branches in your basket to make the journey shorter (easier). Leaves used for unspecified traditional medicine.

Scientific name: Croton insularis, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. epiphytic orchid, growing in dense rainforest along river. Flowers pink. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4058)

Scientific name: Dendrobium rarum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[nanaθ] n. shrub, 2-3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3455)

Example: Fertilizer, take fresh leaves and put in area where plant taro.

Scientific name: Psychotria milnei, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree to 15 m, dbh 30-45 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4938)

Example: The wood is good for making paddles as well as to make canoes.

Scientific name: Adenanthera pavonina, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. sparsely branched tree, 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3493)

Example: The leaves of this plant are used in cooking, particuarly with the earth oven. Use a fire to heat stones, then when the fire burns down and the stones are hot, pile these leaves on top of the hot stones and then place the food being cooked--taro, fish, pig, cassava, banana or other foods--on top of the leaves. Then pile more of these leaves on top of the food and then place additional hot stones on top of that pile of leaves. While the food is cooking--each type of food takes a different amount of time--the leaves give off a very nice smell and help flavor the food.

Scientific name: Polyscias schmidii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. well branched tree, 14 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3651)

Example: Poles made from this plant are used for house rafters and burned for firewood. To plant taro in a swampy area, collect the leaves of this species and put them in the hole where the taro is to be planted, mix with a bit of soil and then plant the taro on top of that. Leaves are a type of fertilizer. Used when baking with the earth oven. Hot stones cover the food and then the leaves from this plant cover the stones. The leaves stay on the branch.

Scientific name: Polyscias cissodendron, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. shrub to 3 m, flowers yellow with red outer coverings (appearing red when closed) (collection: Michael J. Balick #4957)

Example: This plant is used to fertilize fields, especially by growing it in fields that have been used for other crops for a very long time. The seeds can be cooked when dry and hard, boiled in water, or eaten directly without preparation when green and soft.

Scientific name: Cajanus cajun, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4125)

Example: 1. The fruits can be cooked with coconut milk and consumed. 2. Green leaves can be used to wrap fish, when they are cooked in a fire.

Scientific name: Ficus smithii, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub, 1. 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3469)

Example: The wood of this species is used to make a spear for fishing. The wood can also be used to make spears for hunting wild pigs.

Scientific name: Tarenna efatensis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. a kind of bamboo (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #25)

Example: 1. To cure the sea snake (nispev) curse that causes missed periods. First the husband must combine 4 young leaves of incispev and 4 young leaves of nafanu and mash and squeeze the juice into a small bamboo (1-1.5 inch diameter) The nafanu is important because it is a plant that connects to the sea. Use wildcane leaves cover the bamboo closed. Go to the sick person and unwrap the snake from her. Start from the top and let the woman drink a small part of the potion then wash her with the mixture, making sure to wash head, elbows, knees, feet, and belly. Then take a leaf of naha and break it over the woman’s belly button to break the snake off. Smash the bamboo vessel to pieces. Leave the woman there until the wash dries on her. This takes one whole day and the ceremony in the evening so she can sleep and she must not eat. This ritual is performed by men. 2. To make house walls cut to length desired break stems into straps and weave ??. 3. Use stem to cook foods. 4. Container for carrying water. 5. Take tips and tie together and make a torch to go fishing on the reef, walk with the torch – this is a current practice in the East side. 6. Can cut a piece about 1’ long and sharpen edge and use to skin a green banana. 7. Traditional medicine – can use a small segment as a sort of container to carry the traditional medicine to the patient – for example when prepare a sea snake for remedy, or any medicine – to carry it. 8. Used as a container to preserve seeds such as corn, cucumber, beans and is covered with coconut fiber and put near (above?) the fire where it is dry, and the smoke from the fire will keep insects from attacking the seeds.

Scientific name: Bambusa vulgaris, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. small tree or shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3210)

Example: 1. Use the leaves to put in a hole where taro is being planted, as a sort of fertilizer--it rots easily and adds value to the soil. To protect a person from spirits if you are going to an unfamiliar place, take the young inflorescence and put behind your ear. This plant is a sort of "spiritual kava." 2. Flowers are put behind one ear, any side, to allow a person to pass through sacred places. For protection of the spirits especially if you are familiar with this place. On EAST SIDE, put one leaf under pillow before sleeping so that the lady spirit will not disturb the person. Only for men – spirit likes men, and wants to have sleep with them. If she gets pregnant, you must follow her to look after the kids in the spirit world so you leave this one (you die). 3. The small, straight stems of this plant are used as rafters to weave thatch. 4. Children make bows and arrows from the stems as well as spears for fishing.

Scientific name: Macropiper latifolium, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. Phrynium giganteum (RPV #158)

Scientific name: Phrynium giganteum, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3534)

Example: This tree has very hard wood. 1. Use the small stems to plant dry land or swamp taro, sharpening the end and pushing it into the ground to make a hole. 2. It also is useful for fence, posts for houses. 3. Small stems are also used to make a comb for the hair. 4. Plant pole for taro kava. 5. A branch is shaped and used to husk coconut. 6. The wood is hard and in ancient times people would take a forked piece and put string on one side of it, sharpen the other side and use with the string as a fish hook – need to keep rope tight until it is in the canoe. Do not give it slack – strong use AAM 17.

Scientific name: Halfordia kendack, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. shrub to 2 m, dbh 3 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4862)

Example: The common name of this plant refers to the footprint of a chicken. Mix the dried leaves of this plant with pieces of coconut and feed to chickens. They are said to really like it. Plant the shrub near the place that chickens are kept. This feed will make the chickens produce more eggs and also increase the number of healthy chickens.

Scientific name: Acalypha, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. shrub, 1. 75 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3643)

Example: Can be used to make a love potion. Is bad for married people.

Scientific name: Desmodium ormocarpoides, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. shrub, somewhat scandent (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3443)

Scientific name: Acalypha grandis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree, 10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3531)

Example: 1. For a child around 1 year of age, take the inside bark, mash it, boil in hot warter and then use it to wash the child. This will ensure that the child will grow strong and make them able to crawl fast. 2. If a woman who is one month pregnant would like to have a baby, she is given 4 of the tips of the branches to chew and swallow everything before breakfast 1x only. 3. For fishing, take 4 leaves, hold top side up, tear right half of leaves off, keep left side, roll it up and put with fishing gear to have good luck when fishing in the deep sea beyond the reef.

Scientific name: Ficus glandifera, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree to 15 m tall, dbh 25 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4903)

Example: Wood is used to make canoe as it is very light and lasts in salt water. As a styptic to stop bleeding, when a person gets a cut in the bush, scrape off outer bark and use inner bark scrapings to put on cut. Stops bleeding, leave on for one day.

Scientific name: Hernandia moerenhoutiana, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. tree, 18 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3667)

Example: Children suck the nectar from the young flowers just as they open. Wood from this plant is used for poles for rafters as well as for firewood. Flying foxes drink juice from the flowers.

Scientific name: Geissois denhamii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree, 10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3466)

Example: The wood of this species is very hard and therefore useful for making houses. In fact it is so hard that a person cannot drive a nail through it. This wood is used to make spears for fishing.

Scientific name: Sarcomelicope simplicifolia, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. shrub, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3724)

Scientific name: Acanthus ilicifolius, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4757)

Scientific name: Melochia odorata, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. the name of a poisonous plant

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

n. tree to 10 m, dbh 75 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4988)

Example: The young aerial roots are cut from the stems of the tree and used as a local rope, to tie things, help construct temporary shelters, as well as to make string for a hunting bow. Flying foxes like to eat this fruit so in the night when the fruit is mature hunters come by this tree to hunt flying foxes as well as hunting birds during the day. Hunters use bows and arrows for birds, and throwing sticks (natou) made from any plant to hunt flying foxes.

Scientific name: Ficus kajewskii, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4763)

Scientific name: Murraya paniculata, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. the name of a poisonous plant

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

n. epiphyte on branch of Syzygium tree, growing in secondary forest along trail above river. dry fruits. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3661)

Scientific name: Phreatia hypsorrhynchos, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3507)

Example: The young leaves and fruits are edible; the fruits are eaten ripe. This species is used for firewood as well as house posts, but they don’t last as long as other types of wood so they are used in temporary structures. A sacred plant on Aneityum. Name means linkage between this world and the spirit world. Agriculture – you find this tree ?? it means that the land is fertile. Birds eat fruits; people burn the tree to release ash and fertilizer and grow their taro around it – it will give more food. Message plant – if someone puts a long brown on your door or in your garden, it means “why are you here?” Implies that you should go back to where you belong. You don’t belong in this place. For example instead of quarreling over land dispute, put the branch and it means that you should leave this place.

Scientific name: Ficus adenosperma, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. shrub, 1-2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3555)

Example: This plant is an aphrodisiac. Eat with coconut meat to make the body strong. Take 1/2 handful of leaves and mix with coconut leaves, use as needed. Mostly men eat this combination. It is best to eat with dry coconut that has no water in it. Eat it any time you wish.

Scientific name: Pemphis acidula, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3479)

Example: The leaves of this plant are used in cooking, particuarly with the earth oven. Use a fire to heat stones, then when the fire burns down and the stones are hot, pile these leaves on top of the hot stones and then place the food being cooked--taro, fish, pig, cassava, banana or other foods--on top of the leaves. Then pile more of these leaves on top of the food and then place additional hot stones on top of that pile of leaves. While the food is cooking--each type of food takes a different amount of time--the leaves give off a very nice smell and help flavor the food. The young stems of this plant are used in home construction but as they are small and thin, they are not used for posts.

Scientific name: Cleidion javanicum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3503)

Example: The leaves of this plant are used in cooking, particuarly with the earth oven. Use a fire to heat stones, then when the fire burns down and the stones are hot, pile these leaves on top of the hot stones and then place the food being cooked--taro, fish, pig, cassava, banana or other foods--on top of the leaves. Then pile more of these leaves on top of the food and then place additional hot stones on top of that pile of leaves. While the food is cooking--each type of food takes a different amount of time--the leaves give off a very nice smell and help flavor the food.

Scientific name: Cleidion javanicum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. hysteranthous geophyte in flowering stage, growing in primary rainforest. Flowers white tinged with pink. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3625)

Scientific name: Dipodium pictum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree, 3-4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3510)

Example: The leaves of the young plant are used to wrap food for cooking on a fire. The wood is used for temporary houses, for making rafters that are said to last a long time.

Scientific name: Macaranga dioica, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. shrub, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3491)

Example: Name means smash tooth. 1. This is part of an unspecified mixture that can be used as a spell to give another person a toothache. 2. Toothache – chew leaves on the sore tooth and leave it there for a while and spit it out – it will break the tooth and you can take it out, leave on 20 minutes.

Scientific name: Phyllanthus myrianthus, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. large tree, 18 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4076)

Example: 1. The name means "I come". This plant is used to convey messages. When a branch of this plant is left at the house of a person it indicates someone had visited them and they were not there. 2. Children eat the nut of the ripe (yellow) fruits.

Scientific name: Finschia chloroxantha, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. a species of orchid (there are three on the island)

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 102

n. epiphyte. Growing on tree in village area. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #1)

Example: Makes period normal again. Take three young leaves from the very tops of the plant and pound and squeeze out the juice from the leaves. Mix with small amount of water to help juice come out. Drink this 3 times a day for 3 days. Pig food – feed the leaves to the pigs. Leaves used to wrap around Cyrtosperma merkusii to cook for several days—this taro needs a lot of cooking. So this leaf is particularly used for that purpose because it is very watery. Will keep the taro from becoming too burned or dry – it will cook soft after a few days – keep tasting it until the calcium oxalate sensation is gone. Check it 3 times – cook, open, taste and it should be good. Wrap fish and put directly on charcoal fire. – also cover top rocks in earth oven.

Scientific name: Epipremnum pinnatum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. sparsely branched tree, 2. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3628)

Example: This plant is used to make a grass skirt for women. There are two different methods decribed. In the first, collect the leaves, tear off 1/2 of the leaf and pleat the halves. Then dry these in the sun by hanging them from the midrib. After they are dry, weave them into a skirt. In the second, take one leaf at a time, tear the leaf down the center and throw away the midrib. The soft part is used in making the skirt by holding a piece of twine between your toes and under your armpit. Weave the length of the twine with the leaf. The let the pieces to dry in the sun for 2-3 days. The skirt can be thrown in the sea before drying to make the skirt white. Bark of inhao is usually used as twine. Retted strips of leaves, later sun dried, can be used to make pillows. When dogs or humans have fish poisoning this plant can help. Take 2 leaves and pound them (use 1 leaf for dogs) and mix with 1/4 cup of water. no further instructions given. (OR - Leaves to cure ciguatera, chew 1 leaf and swallow juice and spit out fiber. Or extract juice into a cup to drink 1x. Give juice + water in cup for dog that is sick.) There is also a belief that you can use the whole stem of this plant as a digging spade to plant sugarcane so the sugarcane is soft and sweet.

Scientific name: Dracaena sp., Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. large well branched tree, 18-20 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3216)

Example: 1. The trunk of this plant is used to make canoes. 2. It is also a good timber for the inside part of houses. 3. Mix the sap from the stem with other unspecified leaves and rub them into dreadlocks. 4. To attract shells in the sea, scrape a branch and drop in the sea where shells are attracted to the branches and they can be collected for sale to the Island’s visitors. 5. Seeds are used to make beautiful black necklaces. Said to be a lot of work as it is difficult to remove the seed. Rub with sandpaper or soak in water and then make the hole in the seed. 6. Fruit is a children’s toy – used as a whistle to make a nice sound.

Scientific name: Hernandia nymphaeifolia, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. vine to 2 m, aerial tubers and lobed leaves. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4946)

Example: This is a root crop. It is harvested in April-June. The leaves turn yellow and indicate that the crop is ready to harvest. If planted in the old days the root would get much larger. It is a good cyclone disaster food. Grows wild now. Boil the tuber in fresh water, when it is cooked add a bit of sea water to give it a salty taste. Chew the starchy root and spit out the fiber. Another variety is like sweet potato and a person can eat the entire root without spitting out the fiber. Can mix with coconut milk as well to eat.

Scientific name: Dioscorea pentaphylla, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. shrub to tree, 2. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3583)

Scientific name: Xylosma guillauminii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. sprawling, vine-like herb (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3215)

Example: 1. The flower of this plant is used for decoration, for Christmas in particular, in church and home. 2. To attract a mate, put the flower in your hair. 3. This is the introduced one that is named after the wild type.

Scientific name: Gloriosa superba, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree. Found in the village, usually grows in the hills. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #16)

Example: 1. Lot of oil in the heartwood so it is good to start a fire, split it into small strips and you can light it for a fire. 2. Calendar plant – when the fruits ripen people know that this is the best season to eat the big hermit crab – meaning that they are fat.

Scientific name: Fagraea berteroana, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub to 1 m, flowers green (collection: Michael J. Balick #4895)

Example: To make bush ropes, remove outer bark, use to tie things when other ropes are not available. This plant is sour and toxic if the fruits or leaves are eaten. Animals will not eat this plant. The elders teach us not to eat this plant.

Scientific name: Wikstroemia indica, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. shrub to 2 m tall, flowers pink (collection: Michael J. Balick #4955)

Example: The tubers of this variety are sweet, not bitter and are eaten after cooking. The young leaves are eaten after boiling in water until they are soft, either plain or cooked in soup. It is important to only harvest and prepare the young leaves in this way, as the older leaves will not get soft even after cooking. The young leaves are used to cover the top layer of the earth oven, on top of the stones that comprise the upper layer of the earth oven.

Scientific name: Manihot esculenta, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. small tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3452)

Example: 1a. The stem of this plant is used to make a spear, as it is always straight and very strong. It is a small growing plant, just right for length of a spear. 1b. Make a spear for fishing, peel bark, heat stem, affix points to end. 2. Name is the name of a fish. 3. Rafters for roof.

Scientific name: Podocarpus neriifolius, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3624)

Example: Use the wood of this plant for roof rafters.

Scientific name: Syzygium myriadenum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. vine climbing up ficus wassa, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4016)

Example: 1. The vine is use to lash roof rafters to house posts. The vine is collected from the forest and coiled ina figure 8 pattern. It is then heated over a fire before fastening the rafter to the post. 1 minute of heat is sufficient, before one immediately uses the vine.

Scientific name: Smilax vitiensis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. Macaranga dioca

Example: Inner bark: bathe in cold infusion, wounds. Mix heated over fire and taken out during sunset. Healer clenches the package in his fist, then gently punches the patients left, then right knee, then his forehead and finally squeezes over his head, migraine a

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 441