Tou gives carvers a workable timber and tapa makers a source of colour. It also belongs among the trees traditionally planted near marae.
- Local names
- Tou (French Polynesia), Pua (Tuamotu Islands)
- Habitat
- Motu and shore
- Family
- Boraginaceae
- Biogeographical status
- Indigenous
- Life form
- Tree
- Abundance
- Common
- Ecosystem
- Mixed forest
About this species
Tou timber is used for sculpture, drums, containers, and furniture. It is one of the sacred trees planted beside marae. Its orange flowers are funnel-shaped; the partly heart-shaped feature recalled by its botanical name is the leaf.
Leaves combined with the fruits or seeds of mati (Ficus tinctoria) produce a red dye for tapa bark cloth. The guide records the flowers in traditional preparations for asthma, coughs, and pulmonary tuberculosis; those ethnobotanical accounts do not demonstrate treatment effectiveness.
Butaud J.F., Gérard J., Guibal D., 2011. Guide des arbres de Polynésie française, bois et utilisations. 2e édition, Au vent des îles.
Butaud J.F., 2013. Tuamotu de l’ouest, Guide floristique. Direction de l'Environnement.