| Scaevola taccada | |
|---|---|
| Scaevola taccada in its typical habitat; Maui, Kanaha Beach | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Goodeniaceae |
| Genus: | Scaevola |
| Species: | S. taccada |
| Binomial name | |
| Scaevola taccada (Gaertn.) Roxb. |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Lobelia taccada Gaertn. |
|
Scaevola taccada, also known as Beach Cabbage, Sea Lettuce, Beach Naupaka, Naupaka kahakai (Hawaiian), Merambong (Malay) and Ngahu (Tongan) is a flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae found in open coastal locations of the tropical areas of the Indo-Pacific. It is the most common shrub in Kiritimati and is considered an invasive species in some countries.[2]
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It is a large bush reaching up to about 4 m in height typical of littoral zones where it grows very close to the sea exposed to the salt spray, usually on sandy or pebbly soils.[3]
Leaves are slightly succulent, about 20 cm long, closely alternate and crowded at the stem tips. They are glabrous with a fleshy-looking yellowish green color. The fruits and flowers are white. Scaevola taccada blooms the whole year round and the flowers have a fan-like shape which gives them the name Fanflower' or Half flower. The fruits float in seawater and are propagated by ocean currents, this bush being one of the pioneer plants in new sandbanks in tropical areas.[4]
In some islands of the Pacific, Scaevola taccada is used to prevent coastal erosion. Parts of the plant are also used in Polynesian traditional medicine.[5]