Before cassava starch became common in po‘e, pia supplied the starch for this rich Polynesian pudding. It also helped hold tapa cloth together.
- Local names
- Pia ma'a (French Polynesia)
- Habitat
- Motu and shore
- Family
- Taccaceae
- Biogeographical status
- Polynesian introduction (legacy inventory)
- Life form
- Herbaceous plant
- Abundance
- Common
- Ecosystem
- Motu interior
About this species
Pia has one or two leaves and an underground tuber from which its roots grow. Its upright, hollow stem can exceed 1.2 metres.
The tubers yield starch used for po‘e, a sweet, energy-rich pudding now commonly made with cassava starch. Pia starch also served as a glue in making tapa bark cloth. The guide records traditional medicinal and cosmetic uses, including the Tuamotu monoï called horahora. Sweet fruits were given to children as treats.
Butaud J.F., 2013. Tuamotu du centre, Guide floristique. Direction de l'Environnement.
Grepin F., Grepin M., 1870-1880. La médecine traditionnelle par F. Grepin et M. Grepin. Direction des Centres d'Expérimentations Nucléaires. Service Mixte de Contrôle Biologique.
