// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Hernandia nymphaeifolia say? Leaf me alone.
| Hernandia nymphaeifolia | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Laurales |
| Family: | Hernandiaceae |
| Genus: | Hernandia |
| Species: | H. nymphaeifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Hernandia nymphaeifolia | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Hernandia nymphaeifolia is a species of plant in the Hernandiaceae family. Its common name is lantern tree. It is a tree native to Madagascar and the western Indian Ocean islands, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Indochina, Malesia, Papupasia, northern Australia, and the Pacific.[2]
The species was first described as Biasolettia nymphaeifolia by Carl Borivoj Presl in 1835. In 1970 Klaus Kubitzki placed the species in genus Hernandia as H. nymphaeifolia.[2]
Description
[edit]Hernandia nymphaeifolia is a tree with 5–22 m high. The leaves are narrowly or broadly ovate or subcircular. The 5-9 veins are palmate. The flowers are white or greenish, hermaphrodite, with fragrant odour; male and female are separated. The fruit is fleshy, waxy red or white.[3]
Distribution and ecology
[edit]This species occurs throughout the tropics (Duyfjes 1996) exclusively in coastal areas: along the sea-shore in littoral forest and in coastal swamps. Fujita (1991) lists H. nymphaeifolia as being seed dispersed by the Marianas flying fox in the Mariana Islands.[4]
It is one of the most common beach trees in New Ireland.[5]
Uses
[edit]Hernandia nymphaeifolia has a light, perishable wood. It has been used in South Pacific islands for fishing rods, fish net floats, wooden sandals, fan handles, drawing boards, canoe accessories, furniture and firewood, etc. A woody layer surrounds the seed of the lantern tree fruit. The Tahaitians polish the round brown seeds to a high gloss and fashion them into necklaces. The Marshallese bathe children in a healing bath made from H. nymphaeifolia leaves and relieve headaches with a preparation from other tree parts. The effect of lignans from this species on Ca2+ signaling in human neutrophils has been studied.[6]
In parts of New Britain and Vanuatu, its wood is used for to make canoe hulls. In New Britain, the Nakanai people also use its wood to make hourglass drums. The flowers are used to treat asthma on Waya Island, Fiji.[5]
References
[edit]- ↑ Oldfield, S. (2020). "Hernandia nymphaeifolia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020 e.T99007617A99017080. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T99007617A99017080.en. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Hernandia nymphaeifolia (C.Presl) Kubitzki". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
- ↑ Threatened Species of the Northern Territory. Hernandia nymphaeifolia Archived 2011-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Bats and the Lantern Tree". Archived from the original on 2014-09-14. Retrieved 2010-12-31.
- 1 2 Pawley, Andrew; Osmond, Meredith (eds). 2008. The lexicon of Proto Oceanic: The culture and environment of ancestral Oceanic society. Volume 3: Plants Archived 2019-02-04 at the Wayback Machine. Pacific Linguistics 599. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, Australian National University.
- ↑ Novel action of lignans isolated from Hernandia nymphaeifoliaon . Archives of Toxicology Volume 75, Numbers 11-12, 695-702, doi:10.1007/s00204-001-0294-6
- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Hernandia
- Flora of the Chagos Archipelago
- Flora of Hainan
- Flora of Indo-China
- Flora of the Laccadive Islands
- Flora of the Maldives
- Flora of Malesia
- Flora of the Northern Territory
- Flora of the Pacific
- Flora of Papuasia
- Flora of Queensland
- Flora of the Ryukyu Islands
- Flora of Taiwan
- Flora of the Western Indian Ocean
- Least concern flora of Africa
- Least concern flora of Asia
- Least concern flora of Australia
- Least concern flora of the Pacific
- Least concern flora of Papuasia
- Plants described in 1835
- Taxa named by Carl Borivoj Presl