Tag Archives: Dianthera clavata G. Forst.

Dicliptera clavata (J. G. Forst.) Juss.

Clavate Dicliptera (Dicliptera clavata 

The genus Dicliptera contains about 300 species, two of which occurred on the Society Islands in French Polynesia

One of these two species, Forster’s Dicliptera (Dicliptera forsteriana Nees) (see depiction below) is more widely distributed along the Society Islands and apparently can still be found today on the islands of Bora Bora, Huahine, Ra’iatea, and Taha’a, while it appears to be extinct on Tahiti and Mo’orea. It apparently did furthermore occur on the island of Rapa in the Austral Islands.

The second species, the Clavate Dicliptera, was restricted to the island of Tahiti and is considered globally extinct. 

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Forster’s Dicliptera (Dicliptera forsteriana)

Depiction from: ‘Sydney Parkinson: A Journal of a Voyage to the South Seas, in his Majesty’s Ship the Endeavour. London: Stanfield Parkinson 1773’  

(public domain)

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edited: 19.06.2020