Hernandia nymphaeifolia
| Hernandia nymphaeifolia | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Laurales |
| Family: | Hernandiaceae |
| Genus: | Hernandia |
| Species: | H. nymphaeifolia |
| Binomial name | |
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Hernandia nymphaeifolia (Presl.) Kubitzki 1970 |
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Hernandia nymphaeifolia is a species of plant in the Hernandiaceae family. Its common name is lantern tree.
Hernandia nymphaeifolia is a tree with 5–22 m high. The leaves are narrowly or broadly ovate or subcircular. The 5-9 veins are palmate. The flowers are white or greenish, hermaphrodite, with fragant odour; male and female are separated. The fruit is fleshy, waxy red or white.
This species occurs throughout the tropics (Duyfjes 1996) exclusively in coastal areas: along the sea-shore in littoral forest and in coastal swamps. Fujita (1991) lists H. nymphaeifolia as being seed dispersed by the Marianas flying fox in the Mariana Islands.
Hernandia nymphaeifolia has a light, perishable wood. It has been used in South Pacific islands for fishing rods, fish net floats, wooden sandals, fan handles, drawing boards, canoe accessories, furniture and firewood, etc. A woody layer surrounds the seed of the lantern tree fruit. The Tahaitians polish the round brown seeds to a high gloss and fashion them into necklaces. The Marshallese bathe children in a healing bath made from H. nymphaeifolia leaves and relieve headaches with a preparation from other tree parts. The effect of lignanes from this species on Ca2+ signaling in human neutrophils has been studied.
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