382 USEFUL PLANTS OF QUAM. 
Taetsia terminalis. PALM-LILY, 
Family Liliaceae. 
Locat NamrEs.-——Baston de San José (Guam); Saguilala (Philippines); Ti (Samoa, 
Raratonga, Tahiti); Ting (Ponape); Ki (Hawaii); Qui, Masawe (Fiji). 
A plant with an erect stem bearing a cluster of simple leaves, often of a reddish 
color, rising from a large tuberous, saccharine root, and with terminal panicles of 
small flowers. Stem erect, 1.5 to 3 meters high, marked with leaf sears: leaves 
lanceolate, 30 to 60 em. long, 8.5 to 10 cm. broad at the middle, contracting to a 
petiole of 5 to 7.5 em. long, with many longitudinal nerves diverging froma short rib; 
flowers sessile on the alternating branches of the panicle, 3-bracted; perianth jointed 
with the short pedicel, split to the middle into 6 equal lobes; stamens 6, inserted at 
the throat; ovary 3-celled, ovules numerous; style filiform, stigmas 3-lobed or nearly 
entire; berry round, 4 to 6 mm. in diameter, often few-seeded; seeds obovoid, com- 
pressed, often curved; testa black, shining; embryo axile, curved. 
This plant is widely distributed in the Pacitie; but it did not find its way to Guam 
until after the discovery, and at present has no Chamorro name. _ Its Spanish name, 
signifying ‘St. Joseph’s staff,’’ has been applied to it evidently on account of its 
slender, straight stem and its graceful terminal tuft of leaves. It is now abundant on 
the sides of the road leading from Agafia to Pago. In Hawaii it is held in high 
esteem by the natives, who plant it around the tombs of their dead. The al original 
Hawaiians made a fermented drink out of the fleshy, sweet roots. The modern 
Hawaiians distill from them a highly intoxieating liquor, somewhat like rum. In 
Samoa the natives make fringed skirts (titi) of the leaves, which they wear in fishing 
on the reef and in rainy weather. The leaves are also much used by the Polynesians 
for wrapping fish and other food before putting it into the native ovens to bake. The 
leaves are free from any pronounced taste. They are excellent for fodder for animals, 
and are often used in native feasts, together with leaves of bananas and plantains, as 
plates or trays upon which food 1s spread. 
In Guam the natives use it only as an ornamental plant. 
REFERENCES: 
Taetsia terminalis (1. ) 
Asparagus terminalis L. Sp. Pl. ed. 2. 1: 450. 1762. 
Dracaena termimalis L. Syst. ed. 12. 246. 1767. 
Cordyline termimalis Kunth, Abh. Acad. Berl. 30. 1820. 
The name Cordyline, as shown in the discussion under that name on an earlier page 
in this work, is an untenable name for this genus, and Taetsia, proposed by Medicus 
in 1786 and based on the species ferrea, is accordingly reinstated. 
Tagete or Taguete ((iuam). 
Vernacular name for a species of Ficus allied to the banyan, but without aerial 
roots from the branches, common in the forests and growing to great size. Wood 
used only for fuel. 
-Tagoa (Guam). See Lagenaria lagenaria. 
Tagum (Philippines). See Indigofera anil and I. tinctoria. 
Takan (Philippines). See Pisonia excelsa. 
Takete (Gruam). See Ficus spp. 
Talamtala (Porto Rico). See Herpetica alata. 
Talie (Samoa). See Terminalia catappa. 
Talisai ((iuam, Philippines). See Terminalia eatappa. 
Talong (Philippines). See Solanum melongena. 
Tamanu (Polynesia). See Calophyllum inophyllum. 
Tamarind. See Tamarindus indica. 
