Polyglotic Lexicography: Pometia

Preface : I have never felt as uncomfortable with plant names as with this little known genus. P. pinnata is the only species spoken of outside South-east Asia, and even this taxon is lacking names in most languages. On the other hand the Pacific islanders provide us with so many names in so many languages and dialects (most of them not included in the MMPND) that we find it too difficult to sort. On the taxonomic side I have attempted to pair the various forms with other synonyms. These forms may or may not be valid in 2026, if not they would be synonyms of P. pinnata anyhow.

So I leave this un-finished set of records open to all suggestions and comments.

Pometia eximia (Thwaites) Bedd. -> Pometia pinnata J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.

Pometia pinnata J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. (40 synonyms)

Aphania neoebudica Guillaumin, Aporetica pinnata (J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.) DC., Cnesmocarpus excelsus Zipp. ex Blume, Dabanus acuminatus (Hook.f.) Kuntze, Dabanus pinnatus (J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.) Kuntze, Dabanus tomentosus (Blume) Kuntze, Diplocardia excelsa Zipp. ex Blume, Eccremanthus eximius Thwaites, Irina alnifolia Blume, Irina diplocardia Blume, Irina glabra Blume, Irina tomentosa Blume, Euphoria pinnata (J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.) Paxton, Euphoria pometia Poir., nom. illeg. superfl., Nephelium acuminatum Hook.f., Nephelium diplocardia (Blume) F.Muell., Nephelium eximium Thwaites, Nephelium pinnatum (J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.) Cambess., Pometia acuminata (Hook.f.) Radlk., Pometia alnifolia (Blume) King, Pometia annamica Gagnep., Pometia coriacea Radlk., Pometia eximia (Thwaites) Bedd., Pometia glabra (Blume) Teijsm. & Binn., Pometia gracilis King, Pometia lecomtei Gagnep., Pometia macrocarpa Kurz, Pometia tomentosa (Blume) Teijsm. & Binn.

BURMESE : ပဂါညက်စုအင်းဝ paganyetsu-ainwa.

CHINESE : 番龙眼 Fān lóngyǎn, 番龙眼树 Fān lóngyǎn shù, 番龍眼 Fān lóngyǎn (Taiwan), 绒毛番龙眼 Róngmáo fān lóngyǎn, 山龍眼 Shān lóngyǎn.

ENGLISH : Fiji longan, Island lychee, Kasai tree, Oceanic lychee, Pacific lychee.

FIJIAN : Akwa, Ako dawa, Dawa, Dawa, Tawa.

FRENCH : Bois de pieux, Kava (Tahiti), Karva (French Polynesia), Lichi sauvage, Nandao (Vanuatu), Pomet, Pometier.

HINDI : कसै, ख़सै Kasai (translit. of Malay name), पोमेतिअ पिन्नता (translit. of bot. name).

JAPANESE : マトア Matoa.

LAOTIAN : ຂ່າດັງ kha dang, ກວາງ kuaang (kouang, kwaang), ຜາດັງ pha dang, ຊຽງດົງ siang dong (xieng dong), ສຽງດົງ siang dong (sieng dong).

MALAY : Kasai, Kasai daun besar, Kasai daun kecil, Kayu sapi (Java), Lengsir (Indonesia), Matoa (Indonesia), Sibu (Sarawak).

PAPUAN : Dawa moli, Dawa sere, Kasai, Matoa, Obahu, Sibu, Taun (Papua New Guinea, Pacific islands).

PERSIAN : لیچی ایسلند lichi island.

RUSSIAN : Пометия Pometiia.

SAMOAN : Kava, Tava (Samoa, Salomon Islands, Vanuatu).

SINHALESE : මොර Mora.

TAMIL : முரலி Murali.

SPANISH : Longán de Fiji.

TAGALOG : Agupanga, Malugai, Malugay, Tugaui, Tungai.

THAI : แดงน้ำ daeng náam, แสนตาล้อม săen dtaa lóm.

TONGAN : Tava, Tava kula, Tava moli, Tava toua, Tawa (Pacific islands).

VIETNAMESE : Bầu mít, Sâng, Sâng lông, Trường, Trường mật.

For further Pacific islands names refer to the paper by Lex AJ. Thomson & Randolph R. Thaman.

Pometia pinnata J. R. Forst. & G. Forst. f. acuminata (Hook. f.) Jacob -> Pometia pinnata J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.

Pometia pinnata J. R. Forst. & G. Forst. f. alnifolia (Blume) Jacobs -> Pometia pinnata J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.

Pometia pinnata J. R. Forst. & G. Forst. f. cuspidata (Blume) Jacobs -> Pometia pinnata J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.

Pometia pinnata J. R. Forst. & G. Forst. f. glabra (Blume) Jacobs -> Pometia pinnata J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.

Pometia pinnata J. R. Forst. & G. Forst. f. macrocarpa (Kurz) Jacobs -> Pometia pinnata J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.

Pometia pinnata J. R. Forst. & G. Forst. f. repanda Jacobs -> Pometia pinnata J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.

Pometia pinnata J. R. Forst. & G. Forst. f. tomentosa (Blume) Jacobs -> Pometia pinnata J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.

Pometia ridleyi King ex Radlk.

MALAY : Kasai daun licin.

THAI : สาย Sai (săai), ตาเสือ Ta seua (dtaa-sĕua).