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BATS
AND THE LANTERN TREE (Hernandia nymphaeifolia) |
Fujita (1991) lists Hernandia nymphaeifolia as being seed dispersed by the Marianas flying fox in the Mariana Islands. Fujita also lists the leaves, bark and seeds of the tree as sources of medicine. A botanical relative, Hernandia peltata, provides an oil that is used as an antidote to poison and for making candles.Hernandia nymphaeifolia, the lantern tree, is mentioned frequently in literature describing the coastal vegetation of Pacific islands.
Wood: H. 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.
Jewelry: A woody layer surrounds the seed of the lantern tree fruit. Armstrong describes how the Tahaitians polish the round brown seeds to a high gloss and fashion them into necklaces.
Medicine: The Marshallese bathe children in a healing bath made from H. nymphaeifolia leaves and relieve headaches with a preparation from other tree parts.
H. nymphaeifolia could well have had many other medicinal uses in the Marshall Islands and on other Pacific islands.
On the Fijian island of Rotuma, 288 miles (465 km) north of Fiji, H. nymphaeifolia, the popofo tree, is a multi-use tree. It defends the island's coastline, preventing erosion and limiting inland invasion by wind, sea, salt and sand. Rigamoto et al. states that H. nymphaeifolia has at least seven other important uses which are not defined, but other uses of coastal trees are for food, firewood, construction and medicine.
It would be most interesting to know how the popofo tree was used medicinally on Rotuma and other Pacific islands. A Google search in February 2007 for Hernandia nymphaeifolia + research presents almost 600 entries and many of them are medically orientated.
Petit et al. identified cancer cell inhibitory activity for six agents derived from the lignin of two Hernandia species; H. nymphaeifolia and H. peltata. Eight lignin derived agents repressed the growth of the gonorrhea-causing bacteria, Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Other research discusses elements in Hernandia species which have antioxidant and vasorelaxing effects and identifies new alkaloids found in H. nymphaeifolia bark.
Rigamoto lists several other bat-serviced trees as having multiple uses on Rotuma. Pandanus tectoris and Casuarina equisetifolia have at least 15 different uses each. Neisosperma oppositofolia has at least seven uses and Guettarda speciosa is listed as "Very important with multiple uses".
Rigamoto laments the loss of valuable coastline vegetation through clearing and agriculture and the accompanying loss of ethnobotanical knowledge; the knowledge of the medicinal properties of those plants and how the medicines were prepared. Perhaps sophisticated laboratory experiments, both accomplished and in progress, will restore some of that lost knowledge.