Tropical Plant Database - Plant Details

Terminalia samoensis is a small tree up to approximately 5 meters in height. The simple leaves are glossy green and ovate in shape, 7 to 20 cm long and alternately arranged along the stem. The small white flowers are clustered in spikes at the end of the branches. Each spike is about 12 cm long and contains between 15 to 30 flowers. The flowers have no petals but have bell shaped calyces (sepals) instead that are approximately 3 mm long. There are 10 stemans and the ovary is below the other flower parts (inferior). The fruits are red at maturity and look very similar to those of tropical beach almond (Terminalia catappa) but are much smaller, being only 1.5 - 2.5 cm long. The single seed is surrounded by a fibrous material that is buoyant and the fruits are distributed by ocean currents.

(Whistler, W. A. 1992. Flowers of the Pacific Island Seashore)

The wood of this tree is used for traditional carvings throughout its range in the Pacific Islands. Terminalia samoensis is also an important shade tree which is sometimes left uncut or planted in vilages.

Terminalia samoensis naturally occurs from Indonesia eastward to French Polynesia, where it typically grows along rocky or sandy coastlines.

(Whistler, W. A. 1992. Flowers of the Pacific Island Seashore)

Like its cousin, the tropical beach almond, the fruits of Terminalia samoensis are edible, however due to their smaller size, they are not commonly consumed.

(Whistler, W. A. 1992. Flowers of the Pacific Island Seashore)

We currently have 28 herbarium specimens for Terminalia samoensis in our collection. Click on any specimen below to view the herbarium sheet data.

• 030957 - collected by F. R. Fosberg in 1946
• 030958 - collected by Derral Herbst in 1972
• 030959 - collected by Derral Herbst in 1972
• 070261 - collected by Art Whistler in 1973
• 070256 - collected by Art Whistler in 1975
• 070258 - collected by Art Whistler in 1980
• 070260 - collected by Art Whistler in 1981
• 070257 - collected by Art Whistler in 1985
• 041565 - collected by F. R. Fosberg in 1985
• 002987 - collected by Art Whistler in 1989
• 021474 - collected by Jacques Florence in 1990
• 070262 - collected by Art Whistler in 1991
• 070259 - collected by Art Whistler in 1991
• 070263 - collected by Art Whistler in 1991
• 022390 - collected by Steve Perlman in 1994
• 044977 - collected by Art Whistler in 1998
• 044978 - collected by Art Whistler in 1998
• 029408 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1999
• 070264 - collected by Art Whistler in 2000
• 035271 - collected by David H. Lorence in 2001
• 044261 - collected by Tim Flynn in 2005
• 096229 - collected by J. A. Sanney in 2007
• 067974 - collected by Nancy Vander Velde in 2009
• S062122 - collected by David H. Lorence in 2010
• 056190 - collected by David H. Lorence in 2010
• 056191 - collected by David H. Lorence in 2010
• 090730 - collected by Uma Nagendra in 2022
• 090396 - collected by Sverre Juul Schou in 2022