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PACIFIC SCIENCE, VoL VII, April, 1953 
being written to stand for both, though pro- 
nounced more like g when placed medially. 
The letter g is used only with the sound ng 
which the Marshallese spell as h. 
VERNACULAR NAMES USED BY NATIVES 
OF BIKINI 
'Pandanus sp. ’’Bob anbwiri”; a second variety 
"bob erwan." (Because the specimens of 
the fruits were lost in transit, specific identi- 
fication could not be made.) 
Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn. "Ujuj” (or "ujoj"). 
Although this plant was not collected by 
Taylor on Bikini, it is common on many of 
the Marshall Islands, and this report for 
Bikini is trustworthy. "Ujuj" is a general 
name for a number of weeds, mostly grasses. 
This one may be good in treatment of 
diarrhea. 
Cocos nucifera L. "Ni." Very generally useful 
to the Marshallese. 
Tacca Leontopetaloides (L.) Ktze. "Mokmok." 
It is good in the treatment of diarrhea when 
eaten by itself, or as food when mixed with 
coconut cream, Pandanus fruit pulp, sugar, 
or toddy. The seed (fruit) is wrapped in a 
piece of coconut cloth, "inubil," and used 
as a scent-stimulant by pregnant women 
experiencing morning-sickness. 
Fleurya ruderalis (Forst. f.) Gaud. "Nen kot- 
k5t.” It is used only for medicine. The 
leaves, root, and stem are crushed, the juice 
thus obtained being mixed with water and 
coconut milk. The potion is given to a 
person who is distressed and yelling or cry- 
ing, in order to make the evil spirit go away. 
This is a new record for Bikini, as Taylor 
did not find it there. However, it is not 
unexpected as it is known on Eniwetok and 
is widespread in the Marshalls. 
Pisonia grandis R. Br. "Kangdi." A tree useful 
for house timbers, especially posts, because 
the wood lasts a long time. 
Triumfetta procumhens Forst f. ' ' Atat. ’ ’ A ground 
creeper, said to be the most valuable vine 
in Bikini. The bark is stripped off, then, by 
fretting in the hands, the easily broken 
outer bark is removed. The smooth, fibrous 
band of inner bark is dried in the sun to an 
orange-brown color of varying shades and 
used as a fiber to provide ornamentation in 
finely woven Pandanus matting. The leaves 
are crushed and placed as medicine on open 
wounds. Sometimes the leaves, yellow and 
brown, and the woody part of the stem are 
mashed, giving a liquid used as a potion 
for treatment of gonorrhea. 
Hibiscus tiliaceus L. "Lwo” (pronounced like 
the English "law"). A tree, the wood of 
which is light, for which reason it is used 
for masts and booms of sailing craft and 
for pieces of the outrigger frame of canoes. 
The inner bark is used for handicraft fiber, 
for cord, or for string. 
Pemphis acidida Forst. "Konge." A tree, the 
hard wood of which is used for the canoe 
keel, for the apex of the canoe mast, and j 
for the pieces fitted into the canoe bow and | 
stern where the sail booms are lashed. It is | 
also used for the husking stake ("ton"), I 
for the digging stick to uproot Tacca, and | 
for a beater for pounding soaked coconut i 
husks when making sennit ("eokwal"). 
Terminalia litoralis Seem. "Ekong," A large 
tree, the wood of which is used for making 
the elongate bowls in which the "beru" 
(fruits of Pandanus and tubers of Tacca) and 
the "bwiru" (preserved Artocarpus fruits) I 
are mixed. The leaves and root are used for 
medicine. 
Ipomoea tuba (Schlecht.) Don. "Mar b5le." I 
A vine which is regarded as harmful, since || 
it kills any tree on which it grows. It has 
small roots (tubers as small as marbles) 
which long ago were used for food. After 
being cooked overnight in the "umum" 
(underground oven), they were eaten like 
a potato. Previous records from the Mar- 
shalls have been called 1 . grandiflora or 1. 
alba, but these were misdeterminations. 
Cordia subcordata Lam. "Kono." A tree with 
red flowers that are used in making leis. 
The wood is used for many purposes in 
Bikini where the tree occurs in great abun- 
