Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust

𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗺 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗲 (𝘈𝘻𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘵𝘢 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢) - an introduced tree that is native to the India-Java region. A very rare tree in the Cook Islands with trees only known on Rarotonga, in fact, from our last survey, only 1 tree remains from the 3 previously known locations. In the Cook Islands, Neem Tree is sometimes confused with another introduced tree, 𝘛𝘪̄𝘳𝘢 (𝘔𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘢 𝘢𝘻𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘩) but a closer inspection of the leaflets will show that Neem tree has leaflets attached directly to the main leaf stem, whereas 𝘛𝘪̄𝘳𝘢 has leaflets attached to a secondary stem, which is then attached to the main leaf stem.
Neem Tree is a well-known, naturally occurring insect control. The leaves are used to deter insects from eating clothes in cupboards or repel insects from rice stores. The oil collected from Neem fruit can disrupt the growth cycle of insects and as such is used to control insect pests. Neem Tree does however have the potential to become an invasive species if its growth is not managed correctly,

Read more about Neem Tree at: https://bit.ly/3LtIYpC

𝙍𝙖𝙧𝙞 - Flagtail Grouper (𝘊𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘢) a native reef-fish found across the Indo-Pacific seas. A solitary fish that prefers clear, clean water with heathy coral, this preference does make them vulnerable to decline should coral health deteriorate.
The body is typically reddish-brown towards the head and graded to dark-brown towards the tail. The tail has 2 distinctive white or whitish blue bands that converge together towards the end of the tail. It is also typical to see a faint dark-brown spot behind the head, just above the gill slit opening.

Read more about 𝘙𝘢𝘳𝘪 at: https://bit.ly/3OLFbG4

𝗦𝗶𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗲𝗲𝘁 (𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘢 𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴 'Cicla') - an introduced leafy vegetable, commonly grown in the Southern Cook Islands. Silverbeet is a cultivar of 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘢 𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴 belonging to the Cicla group, other well known cultivars of 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘢 𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴 include sugar beet and beetroot, all of which originated from a wild ancestor known as the Sea Beet (𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘢 𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴 subsp. 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢)

Read more about Silverbeet at: https://bit.ly/3kldar9

𝗕𝘂𝗻𝘆𝗮 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗲 (𝘈𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘪) - an introduced conifer Pine, native to Queensland, Australia. These are ancient trees, with a history going back to the Jurassic period (200 Mya) and are much older than typical Pine species used for Christmas trees, timber or pulp manufacturing. Bunya Pine produce cones that are larger than a persons head and can weigh several kilograms. The seeds that are shed from the cones are edible both raw or roasted.
Bunya Pine are very rare in the Cook Islands, despite being recorded here since 1931, today, this species is only known to be on Ātiu, with a good specimen growing on a property next to Ātiu College

Read more about Bunya Pine at: https://bit.ly/3LuGw21

𝗭𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗹𝗲 (𝘗𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘢) - a native species of Longhorn Beetle found across the Pacific Island region. Like many Longhorn Beetles, this one is characterised by extremely long antennae. This particular beetle is a member of the Flat-faced Longhorn Beetles subfamily (𝘓𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘦) and digging deeper into its lineage, a member of the Tribe 𝘗𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘪𝘯𝘪

Read more about Zippered Beetle at: https://bit.ly/3vmWINf

𝙏𝙤𝙖 - Pacific Ironwood (𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘢) is native from SE. Asia, across to N. Australia, through the Pacific Islands and possibly as far as E. Polynesia, although the Ātiu pollen record on shows it appearing after Early Polynesian contact, suggesting that Polynesian voyagers brought it there. Interestingly, the needle-like "leaves" of 𝘛𝘰𝘢 are not leaves but branches, its leaves are tiny scale-leaves growing at each node on a needle! Culturally, the bark is used for medicine and the extremely hard wood was used to make spears.
Two other species of 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢 were introduced into the Cook Islands, though no records of their location or whether they survived have been located. 𝘛𝘰𝘢 is distinguished from these 2 species by the fact that it produces both male and female flowers on the same plant, the other species only produce either male or female flowers on a single individual.

Read more about 𝘛𝘰𝘢 at: https://bit.ly/3Lp3rMh

𝗞𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗮 (𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘫𝘶𝘨𝘢) - a very recently introduced tree to the Cook Islands, although it is native from E. Africa, through Asia, and across to Samoa. Kwila is a coastal species, capable of growing to 50m high, it is a highly sought after hardwood and illegal logging has seen large swathes of Kwila forest destroyed. In 2008 New Zealand considered a ban on the import of Kwila, in an effort to reduce demand, however it was decided to let consumer choice dictate its demand in New Zealand.
Kwila is the official tree of Guam, where it is illegal to cut a live tree there.

Read more about Kwila at: https://bit.ly/3OCpCRf

𝙑𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙞 - Upland Cotton (𝘎𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘺𝘱𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘮) is native to Tropical America and possibly E. Polynesia (including Cook Islands). In the Cook Islands, this species has only been recorded on Mania Hill in Aitutaki, where it is very rare (only 6 plants recorded). The other species of Cotton in the Cook Islands, found on Rarotonga, Mangaia and Ma‘uke, was introduced shortly after European contact. The plants on Aitutaki look more similar to plants in the Marquesas Islands, rather than those found further west.

Read more about 𝘝𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪 at: https://bit.ly/3MBCzsI

𝙋𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙖 - Wide-lobed Porites (𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘢) is an odd coral, in the sense that it has a local Cook Island name (if you exclude the name "𝘒𝘢̄𝘰𝘢", which is applied generically to all hard corals). It is understood that it has a local name because it has a local use. 𝘗𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘢 is the base ingredient for 𝘕𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘬𝘢 (limestone whitewash), a limestone mortar or concrete used to seal the walls of old homes and the CICC Churches around the country. 𝘕𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘬𝘢 is also used in traditional medicine, but like other limestone applications, over-exposure to the caustic lime-dust can be harmful to your health.

Read more about 𝘗𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘢 at: https://bit.ly/38rogbd

𝗪𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝗮𝗻𝘁 (𝘛𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘮) - a very widespread species of ant found across the Cook Islands and the wider Indo-Pacific region. This Ant has been so widely transported (accidently) by people, that is it very difficult to determine its native range but it is assumed to somewhere in the Indo-Pacific. This Ant has also been recorded in N. America and as far away as Europe (though they prefer tropical climates).

Read more about Weaver-ant at: https://bit.ly/3MyJtPq

𝙆𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙧𝙞 - Wandering Tattler (𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘢) is a native migratory shorebird. 𝘒𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘳𝘪 breed in Alaska, N. Russia and Canada during the northern hemisphere summer (April-July) and typically return to the Cook Islands for the remainder of the year. Widespread across the Pacific, including the Pacific Rim, during the non-breeding season, 𝘒𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘳𝘪 prefer rocky coasts and high-energy beaches. Of all the members of the genus 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘢, 𝘒𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘳𝘪 are, perhaps, the least decorative, having grey unpatterned wings and back, grey undersides and head and a white belly, although, they do have a distinctive black stripe across the eye. Their breeding plumage is similar, except for some bar-patterning across their plumage.

Read more about 𝘒𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘳𝘪 at: https://bit.ly/3Lo3W9s