This name is not universally accepted. A recent publication, Hilger, H.H. & Diane,N. Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 125:46. 2003, has proposed the name Heliotropium foertherianum Diane & Hilger (treated here as a synonym).

Common Name:

General Information

Tournefortia argentea is an evergreen shrub or tree with a spreading canopy that can grow from 1 - 12 metres tall[].
The plant has a wide range of uses, especially in the Pacific Islands and at least in part due to the paucity of other plants in the environments in which it grows. It is used as a food, has several valuable medicinal uses and provides a range of materials. In addittion, it is an excellent species for providing shelter and protection in exposed, coastal areas. A very attractive plant, it is often planted within its native range to provide shade in coastal gardens[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Coastal areas of E. Africa across the Indian Ocean, through Asia to New Guinea, northern Australia and Polynesia.

Habitat

Sandy beaches and rocky, coral limestone slopes where the soil is thin and poor; often forming the fringe of vegetation closest to the sea, and seldom found very far infland[, ].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	6.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Bees, Butterflies
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of coastal areas in tropical to subtropical regions. It is generally found in areas where the mean annual rainfall can be seasonal or all year round and is within the range 300 - 5,000mm[]. It tolerates an annual drought of up to 4 months[]. It prefers a mean annual temperature within the range 23 - 29°c, tolerating a minimum temperature of 18°c[].
Requires a sunny position[]. Requires a well-drained soil, preferring those of a light to medium texture[]. Succeeds in nutrient-poor sandy and rocky soils[]. Tolerant of saline soils, even succeeding where occasional seawaves wash over its root system[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6.1 - 7.4[]. Very tolerant of maritime exposure[].
Although seldom considered to be a pest, the plant does have some potential to become invasive when introduced to new coastal environments[]. This needs to be measured, however, with the fact that the plant is becoming rare in parts of its range because of its use as a readily available firewood[]. It has seeds that float in seawater and remain viable, so it can spread by ocean currents[].
A slow-growing plant, generally increasing in height by less than 75cm in a year[].
The tree can take several years before it commences flowering from seed, though it can then flower and produce fruit nearly all year round[]. Another report says that it can commence flowering when still a shrub only 2 metres tall[].
The tree has very strong vertical and lateral roots that can anchor it even in the harshest conditions[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked[]. The flavour is said to resemble parsley[]. Used as a salad and, more commonly, eaten as a vegetable[, ].

Fruit - sometimes eaten[].

Medicinal

The fruits are said to have antihistamine properties[].

The meristem and root inner bark are pounded to prepare a medicine that is used to treat children's rashes, diarrhoea and fish poisoning[]. Combined with the flesh of a coconut, it is used to treat haemorrrhoids[]. Combined with the juice of a young green coconut, it is drunk daily as a treatment for asthma[].

An infusion of the leaves is taken to treat poisoning caused by eating tainted fish[].
The leaves are used in a steam bath to treat bleeding and bruises; as a restorative for a woman after giving birth[]. The leaf juice is applied to infected cuts and stings from certain poison fish[].. The heated leaves are placed on the eyes to treat blindness caused probably by gonococci[]. An infusion of the leaves is used to bathe red, sore or infected eyes, and also as a mouthwash for painful and loose teeth[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant grows well on exposed coasts and can be used to form an important barrier that provides protection from salt-laden winds whilst also helping to stabilize the soil[]. The plant does not tolerate extensive pruning or shearing, but can be used as an untrimmed hedge or barrier plant[].
A natural colonizing species of hot, salty, windswept coastal areas, it can be used as a pioneer to help establish woodland gardens in costal areas[].
The leaves are considered to be an important mulch for the soil[].

Other Uses

Children use the dried fruits as 'peas' in peashooters[].

The leaves contain tannins and are used in making a red dye[].

The leaves are used as a female deodorant[].

The wood is used in traditional house construction, for making certain parts of canoes, handicrafts, knife handles etc[].
The wood is frequently used as a fuel, and is also used for making fire by friction[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe, either in a nursery seedbed or in individual containers, in either a sunny or a lightly shaded position[]. Germination takes 2- 4 weeks[]. Seedlings take 12 months or more to become large enough to plant out, the preferred size is around 35cm tall with a woody stem around 10mm wide at the base[].
The seed is likely to have a viability of at least a few weeks if kept cool[].
Cuttings root easily[]. Hardwood cuttings are more successful than greenwood - they should be around 15 - 30cm long and generally form roots in 3 - 6 weeks[].
Air layering.

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