Tropical Plant Database - Plant Details

Hernandia nymphaeifolia is a large evergreen tree with smooth bark that can grow up to 20 m in height. The leaves are simpl,e rounded-cordate, 7-20 cm long, with long petioles that attach to the blade inside of the leaf margin (peltate). The lantern tree is monoecious, meaning that there are separate male and female flowers on the same tree. The small flowers are clustered together usually in groups of three, the male flowers having 3 white petals and the females 4. On some trees the female flowers open in the morning and the males flowers in the afternoon, and on other trees the males open before the females, thus insuring cross pollination. Flowering occurs year round. The single seeded fruit (drupe) is surrounded by a white or pink fleshy covering with a hole at one end resembeling a lantern. The mature fruits are 2.5 - 3.5 cm long and contain a black round seed approximately 5 mm in diameter.

(Smith, A. C. 1985. Flora Vitiensis Nova)
(Whistler W. A. 2005. Trees of Western Polynesia)

Throughout most of Polynesia, the round seeds are polished by native islanders and strung like beads into shiny brown necklaces or leis.
(Whistler, W. A. 1990. Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands.)

Hernandia nymphaeifolia is naturally distributed from tropical East Africa to Eastern Polynesia with the exception of Hawai`i and the Marquesas.

(Whistler, W. A. 2005. Trees of Western Polynesia)

We currently have 52 herbarium specimens for Hernandia nymphaeifolia in our collection. Click on any specimen below to view the herbarium sheet data.

• 031706 - collected by D. Anderson in 1949
• 073450 - collected by Art Whistler in 1970
• 073449 - collected by Art Whistler in 1973
• 073452 - collected by Art Whistler in 1974
• 073451 - collected by Art Whistler in 1975
• 073447 - collected by Art Whistler in 1980
• 073448 - collected by Art Whistler in 1981
• 005488 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1983
• 058891 - collected by Art Whistler in 1985
• 058892 - collected by Art Whistler in 1986
• 005487 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1986
• 005486 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1986
• 010494 - collected by Art Whistler in 1990
• 073453 - collected by Art Whistler in 1992
• 048556 - collected by Art Whistler in 1992
• 015567 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1994
• 021889 - collected by David H. Lorence in 1994
• 042809 - collected by Art Whistler in 1995
• 023867 - collected by Art Whistler in 1995
• 021094 - collected by David H. Lorence in 1995
• 021830 - collected by David H. Lorence in 1995
• 021464 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1996
• 033532 - collected by Michael J. Balick in 1997
• 025498 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1998
• 024084 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1998
• 089591 - collected by Art Whistler in 1998
• 044980 - collected by Art Whistler in 1998
• 089592 - collected by Art Whistler in 1998
• 030082 - collected by Tim Flynn in 2000
• 034735 - collected by David H. Lorence in 2001
• 035272 - collected by David H. Lorence in 2001
• 035134 - collected by David H. Lorence in 2001
• 040782 - collected by Tim Flynn in 2002
• 039172 - collected by Stephanie Dunbar in 2002
• 039136 - collected by David H. Lorence in 2002
• 060416 - collected by A. Dores in 2002
• S062729 - collected by Tim Flynn in 2005
• S046546 - collected by Tim Flynn in 2005
• 042633 - collected by Tim Flynn in 2005
• S064293 - collected by Tim Flynn in 2005
• 047168 - collected by Tim Flynn in 2005
• 067488 - collected by E. K. Foley in 2005
• 044401 - collected by Nancy Vander Velde in 2006
• 049113 - collected by Michael J. Balick in 2007
• 057276 - collected by Clay Trauernicht in 2008
• 094666 - collected by Clay Trauernicht in 2008
• 096148 - collected by J. A. Sanney in 2008
• 093259 - collected by Gregory M. Plunkett in 2016
• 093627 - collected by Gregory M. Plunkett in 2016
• 093815 - collected by Gregory M. Plunkett in 2018
• 094008 - collected by Gregory M. Plunkett in 2019
• Unassigned - collected by Elliot Gardner in 2022