Fagraea berteriana

Pua keni keni
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Gentianaceae
Genus: Fagraea
Species: F. berteriana
Binomial name
Fagraea berteriana

Fagraea berteriana (sometimes as F. berteroana), commonly known as the Pua keni keni or Perfume Flower Tree, is a small spreading tree or a large shrub which grows in the sub-tropics, where temperatures are 10°C or more. It is indigenous to the Samoa Islands where it is known as the pua-lulu and occurs from New Caledonia to eastern Polynesia.[1]

Description

The plant has quad-angular branches, blunt tipped leaves, and fragrant 7 cm tubular shaped flowers of creamy white, which become yellow with time.

Cultural use

The flowers are popular for making lei. The tree's name, in Hawaiian, means "ten cent flower," referring to the sale price for the flower in the past.

References

  1. ↑ Whistler, W. Arthur (1978). "Vegetation of the montane region of Savai'i". Pacific Science (University Press of Hawai'i) 32 (1): 89. Retrieved 10 July 2010.