Inocarpus fagifer

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Identification based on:
http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?6046

http://pppis.fao.org/GPPIS.exe$ShowHost?Host=1261
Inocarpus fagifer
Authority: (Parkinson)Fosberg
Family:Leguminosae:Papilionoideae:Fabaceae
Synonyms: Inocarpus edulis J R & G Forster, Inocarpus fagiferus and Bocca edulis
Common names: Tahitian chestnut, Polynesian chestnut, namambe, nemap, noumap, taha, ivi, ifi, Polynesian or, Aila

  1. Genus Species: Inocarpus fagifer
  2. Family: Fabaceae
  3. Chuukese name: kurek, asas
  4. English name: Tahitian chestnut tree
  5. Kosraen name: clark (kurrak)
  6. Pohnpeian name: mwourup, mwuropw, mwoaroapw
  7. Yapese name: bu'oy
  8. Growth form: it is a tree
  9. Growth location: they are terrestrial plants. they usually grow on lowlands but can varies depending on the regions. at some places(like Yap), they grow near the shores and also upland but its population does decrease when they grow at this two places.
  10. Growth environment: this plant grows in the forest and can also be cultivated but rarely.
  11. Growth zone: tropical areas
  12. Average height: (unknown)
  13. Stem: it has a woody stem. the bark is dark brown and when cut, the wax between the bark and the wood is usually comes out with red color.
  14. Leaf arrangement:
  15. Stipule: (unknown)
  16. Petioles: (unknown)
  17. Leaf blade: the color is usually light green when it is young and when it is old, the leaf gets darker and darker. The leaf arrangement is
  18. Inflorescence:
  19. Floral bracts:
  20. Flower: the flowers are tiny and white. it is very odor and they are seasonal.
  21. Calyx: (the flower is not present at the time of collection.)
  22. Corolla:the corolla are whites and tiny
  23. Stamens:(flower not present during collection)
  24. Ovary:(flower not present)
  25. Style:(flower not present)
  26. Fruit:
  27. Seed: The seed is usually round and slightly compressed with thick coating. they are produced seasonally but many seed per tree. when the seeds are mature they fall down on the ground and start new young chestnut plants. this plants may be transplanted to other locations.
  28. Anything else?: they are usually pollinating by birds.

Ethnobotany

Chuuk

Baby Leg Strengthening

From oral report: Put dead leaves that have fallen from the tree on the fire. Put the legs of a two to three month old baby in the smoke that comes up until the leaves are ashes. The baby will walk by the seventh month.

From written report:
September 24, 2002
Chuukese Name: Kurek
Collector:Lisa Santer
Local use:It helps the babies to walk early in their monthly old.
How to prepare it:
We take the leaves of this plant.we only take the death onces,the one that are already on the ground. We can take as many as we want ,but all the leaves will be all even, we can not take three,five and so on because that not how we applied and it won't work.As i said the leaves will be all even. Then we take the leaves put it on the fire and when the smoke comes up, we pick up the baby put her or him into the smoke and then you hold until the leaves becomes ashes.This local medicine will work if we apply it everyday,because as a result your baby can stand on their feet and walk in their 6 or 7 months. - Lisa Santer, Chuuk state, living on Pohnpei

Yap

Food

Cultural usage(if any?): The seed is used for consuming. when the seeds are mature the local people take them and boil. until it is cooked, the seeds itself tend to open. the knife is used to split the coating of the seed and take out the seed from the inside. the seed is what the local people consumed and in many different ways. it can be grinded and mixed with sugars and grinded copra, it can be grinded and mixed with grinded copra then boil it again.Or it can be consumed right after boiling and the spliting of the nut.The wood itself is used for firewood esp. when the wood is dead. Some people might have some parts of it used for their family secrets medicine. - John Gelag

Contact information for John Gelag, Yapese contributor: johngelag2@yahoo.com, johngelag2@hotmail.com. John Gelag's Web Page

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