List of Samoan plant common names


Below are some Samoan plant names in alphabetical order in the Samoan language and their corresponding descriptions in English. Many are used in traditional medicines in the Samoa Islands comprising Samoa and American Samoa.
Samoan nameScientific namePlant familyEnglish name
A'atasiRorippa sarmentosaBrassicaceae Polynesian cress, longrunner
Ago, lega when cookedCurcuma longaZingiberaceae Turmeric
Aloalo, also Aloalo fanua, Aloalo samiPremna serratifoliaVerbenaceae
Aloalo taiVolkameria inermisVerbenaceae glory bower
Aloalo vaoMussaenda raiateensisRubiaceae Pacific mussaenda, Pacific flag-tree
Aloe Aloe veraAgavaceae Aloe vera
AoaFicus obliquaMoraceae Polynesian banyan, strangler fig
ʻApu Initia Anacardium occidentaleAnacardiaceae Cashew, "Indian Apple"
AteateWollastonia bifloraAsteraceae Beach sunflower
ʻAu'auliDiospyros samoensisEbenaceaeSamoan ebony
ʻAute SamoaHibiscus rosa-sinensisMalvaceae Red hibiscus
ʻAva, ʻAva Samoa, kavaPiper methysticumPiperaceae Kava
ʻAvaʻavaaituMacropiper puberulumPiperaceae hairy piper
ʻAvaʻavaaitu sosolo
ʻAvaʻavaaitu tu
ʻAvapuiZingiber zerumbetZingiberaceae Wild ginger, shampoo ginger
ʻAvapui tuasiviAlpinia samoensisZingiberaceaeSamoan shell-ginger
Esi Papaya, pawpaw
Faʻi, moʻe, futiMusa maclayiMusaceae Banana, plantain
FalaPandanus tectoriusPandanaceae Pandanus, screwpine
FauHibiscus tiliaceusMalvaceae Beach hibiscus
FetauCalophyllum inophyllumClusiaceae Calophyllum
FilimotoFlacourtia rukamFlacourtiaceae Indian plum
FisoaColubrina asiaticaRhamnaceae latherleaf, Asian nakedwood, Asian snakewood
FiuZingiber officinaleZingiberaceae Ginger
Fu'afu'aKleinhovia hospitaSterculiaceae guest tree
Fue laufaoEpipremnum pinnatumAraceae centipede tongavine, dragon-tail plant
Fue manogiPiper graeffeiPiperaceae
Fue moa, Fuefue moaIpomoea pes-capraeConvolvulaceae Beach morning-glory
Fue sainaMikania micranthaAsteraceae Mile-a-minute weed, "Chinese Fue"
Fue sinaVigna marinaFabaceae Beach pea
FutuBarringtonia asiaticaBarringtonia Fish-poison tree
Gatae, Gatae SamoaErythrina variegataFabaceae Coral tree
IfiInocarpus fagiferFabaceae Tahitian chestnut
IfiifiAtuna excelsa subsp. racemosa, syn. Atuna racemosaChrysobalanaceaetabon-tabon
IfileleIntsia bijugaFabaceae Fijian vesi, Tongan fehi
Kuava Psidium guajavaMyrtaceae Guava
La'au fai lafaSenna alataFabaceae Dandlebush, acapulco
Laga'aliAglaia samoensisMeliaceae
Lama, tuituiAleurites moluccanusEuphorbiaceae Candlenut
Lau mafiafiaHoya australisAsclepiadaceae Wax plant
Lau pata, Lau papata, PataMacaranga harveyanaEuphorbiaceae
Lau ti, TiCordyline fruticosaEuphorbiaceae Ti leaf
LevaCerbera manghasApocynaceae sea mango
Ma'anunuTarenna sambucinaRubiaceae
MageleTrema cannabinaUlmaceae poison peach
MagoMangifera indicaAnacardiaceae mango
Makerita Tagetes erectaAsteraceae African marigold
MamalaOmalanthus nutansEuphorbiaceae Mamala extract found to be medicinally useful as antiviral therapy
MasameGlochidion ramiflorumEuphorbiaceae
MatalafiPsychotria insularumRubiaceae
MatiFicus tinctoriaMoraceae Dyer's fig
MautofuSida rhombifoliaMalvaceae Broom weed
Mau'utoga Commelina diffusaCommelinaceae Day flower
MiloThespesia populneaMalvaceae Milo, Pacific rosewood
MoegaloCymbopogon citratusPoaceae Lemon grass
Moli'aina Citrus sinensisRutaceae Orange, sweet orange
Moso'oiCananga odorataAnnonaceae Perfume tree, ylang-ylang
NamulegaVitex trifoliaVerbenaceae simpleleaf chastetree
Niu,PopoCocos nuciferaArecaceae Coconut
Nonu, Nonu togianonuMorinda citrifoliaRubiaceae Indian mulberry, "noni"
Nonu 'ai, Nonu fi'afi'aSyzygium malaccenseMyrtaceae Malay apple
ʻOʻaBischofia javanicaEuphorbiaceae bishop wood
ʻOfe, Ofe SamoaSchizostachyum glaucifoliumPoaceae Polynesian bamboo
Ogoogo, Ogoogo totoLaportea interruptaUrticaceae Island nettle
Ogoogo tea, Ogoogo sina, Ogoogo pa'epa'e Acalypha lanceolataEuphorbiaceae -
PateColeus scutellarioidesLamiaceae Coleus
Polo feu Capsicum frutescensSolanaceae Chilli pepper
PoumuliSecurinega flexuosaPhyllanthaceae
Pua Fiti Plumeria rubraApocynaceae Plumeria, frangipani
Pua Samoa, TialeGardenia taitensisRubiaceae Tahitian gardenia
Pua taunofoAllamanda catharticaApocynaceae Golden trumpet
SalatoDendrocnide harveyiUrticaceae Stinging nettle tree
SeaseaSyzygium corynocarpumMyrtaceae hemp-agrimony, holy rope
SoiDioscorea bulbiferaDioscoreaceae Bitter yam
Tagitagi, Tagitagi SamoaPolyscias fruticosaAraliaceae Ming aralia
TaipoipoiGeniostoma ligustrifoliumLoganiaceae hangehange
TalafaluMicromelum minutumRutaceae limeberry, samui
TalieTerminalia catappaCombretaceae Tropical almond
TaloColocasia esculentaAraceae Taro
TeuilaAlpinia purpurataZingiberaceae Red ginger.
TeveAmorphophallus paeoniifoliusAraceae elephant foot yam, whitespot giant arum
Tipolo Citrus medicaRutaceae Citron, lemon
Togo, TogotogoCentella asiaticaApiaceae Asiatic pennywort
ToloSaccharum officinarumPoaceae Sugarcane
U'aBroussonetia papyriferaMoraceae Paper mulberry, used in making tapa
UfiBoerhavia repensNyctaginaceae Yam
ʻUluArtocarpus altilisMoraceae Breadfruit tree
ʻUmalaIpomoea batatasIpomoea Sweet potato, kumara
UsiEuodia hortensisRutaceae Island musk
Vao apulupuluChamaesyce hirtaEuphorbiaceae Garden spurge
Vao vaiPeperomia pellucidaPiperaceae pepper elder, shining bush plant, man to man
VavaeCeiba pentandraMalvaceae Kapok
ViSpondias dulcisAnacardiaceae Polynesian plum, Otaheite apple
Vi vaoPhysalis angulataSolanaceae Wild cape gooseberry