Tongan Name: none

English Name: none

Reason for Listing: infrequency of collection

Status: rare indigenous

Suggestion Action: Its distribution on Tongatapu and ‘Eua should be charted and its places of occurrence recommended for some kind of preservation.

Indigenous to Tonga, ranging from Palau to southeastern Polynesia.  In Tonga it is found only on coastal limestone cliffs and makatea of Tongatapu and ‘Eua, reported only near sea level.  No local names or uses are reported.  This species is also listed as “rare” in independent Samoa Whistler 2010).  The species was collected on Tongatapu during the current project (2010), and according to Martin Runquist (pers. comm. 2010), he has seen moths in Vava‘u that feed exclusively on this plant, so it is likely this species (or perhaps the related Capparis quiniflora) occurs in that island group as well.  No local names or uses are reported, and few if any Tongans would recognize this rare plant.

Prostrate or low woody shrub up to 1 m in height, with glabrous stems.  Leaves simple, alternate; blade somewhat fleshy, elliptic to ovate, 2–7 cm long, mostly rounded at both ends; surfaces glabrous; margins entire; petiole 1–4 cm long.  Inflorescence of solitary, axillary flowers.  Calyx of 4 unequal, sepals 1.4–3 cm long, the outer pair strongly concave (bent into a U-shape) and enclosing the bud, on a pedicel up to 8 cm or more in length.  Corolla of 4 unequal, asymmetrical showy white petals 2.5–5 cm long.  Ovary superior, 1-celled, with a small sessile stigma; borne on a long stalk (gynophore).  Stamens numerous, free, anthers often pink.  Fruit a clavate capsule 3–6 cm long borne on a gynophore up to 8 cm or more in length; seeds numerous, round 3–4 mm in diameter.  Flowering and fruiting probably occur continuously.

Distinguishable by its prostrate woody habit; alternate, elliptic to ovate, somewhat fleshy leaves; large, showy, solitary white flowers bearing numerous stamens; and club-shaped fruit borne on a long stalk.

TONGATAPU:
Parks 15629—Lower littoral terrace on exposed rocks near a small cave at Hufangalupe.
Yuncker 16250—Sea cliff at Fangaveha on the south coast of the island.
Whistler 12178—Sea cliff edge ca. 200 m south of Hufangalupe.

‘EUA:
Buelow 1856—Halfway between Vaingara and the cliff descending to Lokupo on jagged uplifted limestone in a somewhat sheltered crevice at 60 m elevation.