Tutu leaves have been used for washing skin and hair. Its status also changes with place: introduced on many atolls, native on high islands.
- Local names
- Tutu (Austral Islands, Marquesas Islands, Society Islands, Tuamotu Islands)
- Habitat
- Motu and shore
- Family
- Rhamnaceae
- Biogeographical status
- Polynesian introduction (legacy inventory)
- Life form
- Shrub
- Abundance
- Uncommon
- Ecosystem
- Mixed forest and beach
About this species
In French Polynesia, the guide records leaves and sometimes bark in preparations used as soap and shampoo. Other traditional preparations are associated with skin complaints.
J.-F. Butaud’s 2013 DIREN report records tutu on Tetiaroa’s larger motu and treats it as a Polynesian introduction, as on many other Polynesian atolls. On high islands, the plant is classified as native. These two classifications describe different island settings.