Ŋaoho
Ŋaoho – Caesalpinia major
Vine or climbing shrub with thorny stems several meters long. Leaves bipinnate, alternate, 50-60 cm long and 30 cm wide. Yellow and fragrant flowers. Yellow seeds 1-2 cm in diameter contained in a thorny pod.
Importance
The flowers and seeds were used for decoration and necklaces. The stems were used to make ropes. It would also have had a medicinal use.
Propagation
Several dozen specimens are reproduced each year through seeds, some collected from the few remaining wild specimens and others from mother plants in CONAF's Mataveri Otai Nursery.
Ecology
On rocky slopes between 30 and 160 meters high. The associated species are: Sapindus saponaria, Cordyline fructicosa, Broussonetia papyrifera, Microsorum parksii.
Conservation
Approximately 100 vigorous individuals, generally with flowers and fruits. However, livestock feed on its leaves and sprouts. There is practically no natural regeneration, which indicates that the Ngaoho is in danger of extinction. It is currently reproduced in the Mataveri Otai nursery.
Distribution
Indigenous from Madagascar to tropical America. In the Pacific, it is found in Hawaii, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji. The seeds could have been brought by ocean currents.
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