Botanic Garden Field Trip fall 16 February 2006

This term the class was honored to have Tim Flynn from the National Tropical Botanic Garden, Nieve Shere who works with the New York Botanic Garden, and Francisca Sohl who works with the Pohnpei ethnobotany project. Nieve has been doing the mounting work associated with the herbarium at COM-FSM. After the class Tim, Nieve, and I walked back through the garden. Tim noted a Garcinia xanthochymus and taught Nieve and I how to eat this wonderful fruit. He was hoping the Garcinia mangostana would be bearing, but they were not. He thought the trees by the G. xanthochymus might be rambuttan.

Identified by Tim, Gliricidia sepium in bloom. Located near the tennis courts.
Gliricidia sepium Gliricidia sepium

Tim Flynn believes the tree below to be Allspice (Pimenta dioica) also known as "West Indian bay-leaf." Family: Myrtaceae (myrtle). There are three of these in the garden, located in a row behind the Agathis spp, and the Araucaria columnaris. Tim thought that the Agathis might possibly be robusta. This area of the garden also features Eucalyptus deglupta.
Tentatively allspice Tentatively allspice Tentatively allspice Tentatively allspice Tentatively allspice Tentatively allspice

Class shots

Liwihter considers the Eucalyptus deglupta while Nieve prepares to take a picture of it. The front row includes Herolyn, Evelynta, Jerome, Annie, and Ann-Lora all hailing from Chuuk state.
Herolyn, Evelynta, Jerome, Annie, and Ann-Lora

Seledonia and Chellarose in the front, Raynard in the back with Jayson striking a pose with Rachel.
Seledonia, Chellarose

This palm remains a mystery, with Tim not able to positively identify it. Baby palms are sprouting all around with the same unique fan shaped leaves.
Yet to be identified palm

Enoliana and Chellarose have a look at the unidentified palm.
unidentified palm

Glady joins the front line from Chuuk, Agnes and Nieve in the back.
Evelynta, Jerome, Annie,  Ann-Lora, Glady

The class heads to the back of the garden, passing a carambola (ansou) and a Garcina xanthochymus along the way. The building in the background is the Japanese era agriculture station and dates to prior to World War Two. The front of the building is clearly done in an art deco theme and the building is absolutely unique in the FSM if not Micronesia as a whole. Tim can be seen at the back of the group.
ethnobotany class spring 2006 ethnobotany class spring 2006 Evelynta, Jerome, and Glady

Gathered around the Allspice tree near the tennis courts.
Evelynta, Herolyn, Annie, Ann-Lora , Jerome, Glady, Francisca Sohl

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