The uses of Atuna racemosa Raf. (Chrysobalanaceae) in Samoa

Prance, G. T. (2004) The uses of Atuna racemosa Raf. (Chrysobalanaceae) in Samoa. Economic Botany, 58 (3). pp. 470-475. ISSN 0013-0001 doi: 10.1663/0013-0001(2004)058[0470:TUOARR]2.0.CO;2

Abstract/Summary

An ethnobotanical study was made of the uses of Atuna racemosa subsp. racemosa (Chrysobalanaceae) in Samoa. The main use is of the cotyledons to extract an anti-inflammatory massage oil and a putty to caulk boats. Minor uses as a medicinal and of the wood are reported and a survey of herbarium material shows that the fruit of Atuna is widely used throughout the Pacific region.