Healing plants of Paies, Palikir, Pohnpei

The SC/SS 115 Ethnobotany class headed east again to visit the neighboring village of Paies. Paies continues to provide an active example of the living pharmacy around us here on Pohnpei.


In the background Yostrick and Mitchell examine Premna obtusifolia, locally known as topwuk. In the foreground are LynnJella, Brandon, and Mary-Ann, listening to my monologue on some of the medicine plants of the college lawn.


The class is arranged around Psidium guajava, often used to treat diarrhea.  Mary-Ann and Christian are facing the Premna obtusifolia to the left, Sasha is towards the back with Naoya, Tremany and Joyleen are amidst the guava branches.



Along the road the class stops often to consider the plants. By this far along the road the class has seen Lycopodiella cernua, Glochidion ramiflorum (mwehk), Scaevola taccada (remek), Morinda citrifolia (weipwul), the variety of Premna obtusifolia known locally as oahr, Piper ponapense (konok), Piper methysticum (sakau) and many more plants. Above Rose Jany points out Asplenium nidus (tehlik, toahnlik) as Mary-Ann looks on, Brandon in the background with Joyleen.



Heavy rain began to fall, getting heavier and heavier as the class continued. I searched for filmy ferns along the river, but to no avail. Heading up road would be more productive, but the rain was increasingly heavy and there was the potential for thunder, lightning. The class returned to campus very sodden and wet. Above an "attendance" photograph of Mitch, Ann-Julie, Sasjha, Lienna, Naoya.

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