Polynesians have a very strong relationship with the land that nurtures them and with plants. Ornamental flowers, food or medicinal plants, plant-based fabrics - nature is an essential resource that runs through the history of Fenua (1) and accompanies the inhabitants throughout their lives.
Like the other islands of the Pacific, Polynesia has an indigenous flora that was established before the arrival of man, thanks to the winds, sea currents and birds. With the various migrations, the flora was enriched by new species from Asia, Malaysia and the Western Pacific. These included the tiare tahiti, a shrub of the rubiaceae family renowned for its small, fragrant white flowers, the breadfruit tree and the fehi banana tree. From the end of the 17th century, the first missionaries introduced many other plants: mango trees, letchis, food and ornamental plants. They also acclimatised others: tamarind, lemon, avocado, vanilla, etc. Nature here is generous and the volcanic soils so fertile that they have provided for the needs of the Polynesians throughout their history.
The Tahitian tiara, emblem of Polynesia
As soon as they arrive at Faaa airport, tired after a long journey, visitors discover that Tahiti could be called the "Island of Flowers". In the necklaces that will be placed around his neck as a sign of welcome, he will quickly spot the scent of the flowers of " the island of flowers " tiare maohi or tahiti " (Gardenia tahitensis). A native of the Rubiaceae family, its very white corolla has five to eight petals, sometimes more, from a long tube. It gives off an incomparable fragrance: heavy, heady, insidious, sweet, aphrodisiac and attractive. Tiare is used to perfume monoi, the coconut oil still widely used by vahines in their beauty rituals.
A still-closed flower slipped over the right ear signifies a heart to be taken. Placed behind the left ear, it means the person is taken. The flowers of Tahiti tiare are also used in the manufacture of umuhei, the fragrant Marquesan bouquet.
And let's not forget the frangipani, whose fragrant flowers are used to make head or neck crowns. The first frangipani trees were imported to Tahiti in 1852 by the nurseryman M. Abadie, originally from Valparaiso.
It is called tipanie in Polynesia. It is thought to have taken its name from the Italian Marquis Frangipani, who invented a fragrance similar to the flower of this tree to perfume gloves in the 17th century. The Plumeria genus is the most widespread in Fenua. There are several varieties with magnificent colours.
The coconut palm, symbol of the South Seas
The coconut palm (niu or ha'ari) (Cocos nucifera) has conquered all the archipelagos. There are 47 varieties in French Polynesia. The coconuts are carried by the waves and then thrown onto the shore, where they germinate by chance. The trunk provides quality wood used to make pillars and carpentry. The palms (niau), after being treated with sea water and dried, are woven into walls, roofs or mats. The central part of the young shoots, the heart, makes excellent salads and was once used as a remedy against scurvy.
© S. Grandadam.
Coconut palms grow on all white and black sand beaches. Originally from Asia or Central America, it has become acclimatised throughout Polynesia. Its flexible fronds sway in the breeze and even withstand hurricanes. The nut is used to make the famous "monoi", which protects against sunburn. Palms are also used to weave baskets and cover traditional Polynesian houses known as "farés".
Plants characteristic of Indo-Malay botany
Many plants were brought by the first Polynesians during their migrations in the Pacific. These include the auti " (Cordyline fruticosa) with its sweet root, "petit gingembre" rea moru " (Zinziber zerumbet), with pharmaceutical virtues, the " bancoulier tutui " (Aleurites moluccana) with oil-rich seeds for luminaries, the apple tree or "cythere plum" vi tahiti" (Spondias dulcis), whose fruit is highly prized (New Kythera was the name given to Tahiti by Bougainville). Or the great " mapé " (Inocarpus fagiferus), a Tahitian chestnut tree with sought-after nuts.
And many others, including the pandanus, "... fara " (Pandanus tectorius), which had a different function in the Marquesas than in the other archipelagos of the Polynesian basin. Instead of being planted for its fruit and seeds, it was used as a universal source of material for basketry and roof insulation! Today, its palms are still used, after treatment in seawater, to cover farés, wall panels and carpets " peue ". Craftsmen, especially in the Austral Islands, use it to weave hats, fans, dancewear, baskets and all sorts of cases that Polynesians and tourists love.
As far as food is concerned, we should mention the banana trees " fei " (Musa troglodytarum) or " mei " (" Musa " hybrids from Indonesia); the " taro " (Colocasia esculenta), whose tubers were for a long time the staple food of the Polynesians, the 'pia' (Tacca leontopetloides), a tuber considered by the ancients as a substitute food.
Not forgetting the noni " nono " (Morinda Citrifolia), a major therapeutic plant native to Asia, all the parts of which (leaves, flowers, fruit, bark and roots) are used in traditional medicine to treat a wide range of everyday ailments. Self-prescribed by many individuals to cure a wide range of infections, heal wounds, prevent the formation of tumours and relieve rheumatism, noni juice is much appreciated by Polynesians.
But it's the breadfruit tree, " 'uru "or " maiore " (Arocarpus altilis), which has played a key role in Tahitian botanical mythology. Originally from the Indo-Malayan region, it impressed the first visitors: Cook estimated that planting ten " uru ", a Polynesian could feed his descendants for several generations! When cut, the tree will produce 150 fruits after seven years, mainly between November and April. The " uru "can be eaten roasted, cooked in a hot stone oven, whole or mashed. In the form of a paste for fermenting (" mahi " and " popoi " in Marquesias islands. The surplus was buried in vast pits that served as larders in times of famine. A veritable divine blessing for the slavers of the West Indies, the breadfruit tree became the prototype for a diet that was as tropical as it was economical: Commander Bligh and his second-in-command Christian disembarked in Tahiti on an armed ship to take the precious plants back to the English West Indies! We know what happened to the "Bounty"!
Some imported species, sometimes invasive
Although they arrived late on these islands, in the space of a few centuries man has left his mark on the plant landscape. Among the species that have been imported are the " tafee " (Coffea arabica), avocado (Persea americana), papaya " tita " (Carica papaya) or the lantana " taratara Hâmoa " (Lantana camara), which graces many gardens with its yellow or orange flowers.
However, it is important to emphasise the threats posed by a small number of these species to the integrity of the islands' plant formations, some of which, through their rapid expansion, are competing with the local flora and can be considered veritable plant pests. These include grasses such as Melinis, Lantana and Miscanthus, as well as a tree with large, purple-backed leaves, Miconia calvescens, introduced in 1937 by Harrisson Smith, an American naturalist who founded the Papeari botanical garden. This ornamental Melastomataceae, with its large green leaves with purple undersides, has invaded almost every biotope and is spreading rapidly, leading to the disappearance of native Tahitian species. It is the subject of uprooting campaigns, but the battle is not over. The best is sometimes the enemy of the good!
1 - Fenua means 'territory', 'land', 'country' (or often 'island') in Tahitian.
Text : Michèle Lasseur and Brigitte Postel.
Photo opening : Sylvain Grandadam.
