This page lists common names of species profiled on PIER by common name in the Tongarevan (spoken) language.
Browse this list or use the "find" function on your web browser to search by common name, then use the link provided to access the species information via its scientific name. If we have omitted or misspelled a common name, please contact us at pier@hear.org.
| Common name(s) | Scientific name (+Family) | Often-used other Latin names | Habit |
Primarily a threat
at high elevations? |
| kāpaiē | Polyscias cumingiana (Araliaceae) | Aralia filicifolia C. Moore ex E. Fourn.; Polyscias filicifolia (C. Moore ex E. Fourn.) L. H. Bailey; Polyscias rumphiana Harms | shrub/tree | No |
| lēmene | Citrus limon (Rutaceae) | Citrus limonum Risso | tree | No |
| lili vaevae mokolā | Gloriosa superba (Colchicaceae) | herb | No | |
| melēni | Citrullus lanatus (Cucurbitaceae) | Citrullus aedulis Pangalo; Citrullus vulgaris Schrad. | vine | No |
| melikō | Tagetes patula (Asteraceae) | Tagetes lunulata Ortega | herb | No |
| mili | Ocimum basilicum (Lamiaceae) | herb | No | |
| ‘ōpolo | Capsicum frutescens (Solanaceae) | herb | No | |
| pālapōtini | Passiflora quadrangularis (Passifloraceae) | vine | No | |
| pōkai kula | Gomphrena globosa (Amaranthaceae) | herb | No | |
| tala pī | Talinum paniculatum (Portulacaceae) | Portulaca paniculatum Jacq. | herb | No |
| talo | Colocasia esculenta (Araceae) | herb | No | |
| tiale akapisipisi | Spathodea campanulata (Bignoniaceae) | tree | No | |
| tiale akāu | Hoya australis (Apocynaceae) | Hoya dalrympliana F. Muell. | vine | No |
| tiale lenga | Allamanda cathartica (Apocynaceae) | Allamanda cathartica cv. 'Hendersonii'; Allamanda hendersonii Bull ex Dombrain | vine | No |
| tiale sina | Catharanthus roseus (Apocynaceae) | Lochnera rosea (L.) Reichb. ex Steud.; Vinca rosea L. | herb | No |
| tiale sina | Pentas lanceolata (Rubiaceae) | Mussaenda luteola Delile; Ophiorrhiza lanceolata Forssk. | herb | No |
| tiale valeau | Catharanthus roseus (Apocynaceae) | Lochnera rosea (L.) Reichb. ex Steud.; Vinca rosea L. | herb | No |
| tiare tālona | Nerium oleander (Apocynaceae) | Nerium indicum Mill. | shrub | No |
| tiare vareau | Pentas lanceolata (Rubiaceae) | Mussaenda luteola Delile; Ophiorrhiza lanceolata Forssk. | herb | No |
| tīpolo | Citrus aurantiifolia (Rutaceae) | tree | No |