(cont'd)
Noni,
the sought-after "fountain of youth",
is also used to combat stonefish poisoning.
The
juice of this plant, dubbed "wash 'n go" by the locals,
is used to wash hands, hair, and body.
Vegetables
Various hot (very!) peppers grow in the wild...
... as do more familiar plants such as wild pumpkins.
Jungle guide Francis also found this Tapioca root.
Wild basil (bottom), too, grows in the jungle.
Foliage
It
is impossible not to notice the lush foliage
one is surrounded by everywhere in French Polynesia.
Plants
we know as house plants such as
this Ficus benjamina (back) grow into huge trees.
Flowers
such as this red ginger (alpina purpurata)
grow in abundance in the wild.
Real
mimosae are frequent.
When you squeeze one of the tiny leaves,
the others fold up in sequence - an interesting sight.
Polynesia's
lush flora presents itself everywhere on the islands.
From a main road, such as this one on Tahiti,
turning into any inland path...
... will take you to a bamboo forest...
...or
the lush tropical rainforest within a minute.
Exploring French Polynesia's stunning and quite intact
biodiversity is a rewarding addition to the wealth
of experiences beautiful French Polynesia has to offer.
(to index)
