Sojourning Seeds

A stranded drifter

How long were you lost at sea

Sea bean on the sand

Sea beans are seeds or fruits that wash into the sea, drift for some time and then get washed ashore. They are also called drift seeds or beans. There are a handful of different kinds that you can find on Saipan that usually wash up on the eastern beaches. I am still trying to figure our if it is sustainable to include see beans for my project. The above picture is that of a kukui nut (Aleurites moluccana) which I originally thought drifted from Hawaii. I've been finding quite a bit of them lately.

SEA HEARTS (OR MONKEY LADDER BEANS)
The sea heart (Entada gigas) is a well known sea bean because of its curious shape, big size, and high polish. The ones I've found are dark brown and have a very hard covering making them appear like wood carved hearts. Sea heart vines are lianas (woody, long-stemmed and rooted on the ground). Parts of the thick vines grow ribbon-like and this prompted the common name, monkey ladder vine. I haven't seen these vines growing on Saipan. It would be interesting to find since they own the record for bearing the largest seed pods (over 5 ft. or 1.5m).
Another monkey ladder vine is the snuff box bean (E. rheedii) since the hard seed covering was used as snuff boxes. In Chamorro it is called, bayogon dankulo (kneecap, big) and the seeds are reddish brown, almost rectangular in shape and are supposedly poisonous. The leaves and stems are used in traditional medicine. Its synonym is E. pursaetha and another common name is the African dream herb since its leaves are dried and smoked there supposedly to induce vivid dreams.

LITTLE MARBLES
I do not have a lot of information about this beautiful marble-like seed. They are also called glass eye vine (Oxyrhynchus volubilis). I usually find them covered in a beige, corky layer that need to be scrapped off to reveal the shiny black to dark brown seeds.

SEA PURSES
The sea purses we mostly see here are Dioclea wilsonii. They somewhat resemble our local bayogo (Mucuna gigantea) but are generally bigger and the hilum (where the seed attached to the seed pod) has a bright yellow border.

Does it look like a tiny purse? See the yellow border of the hilum?
Most sea purses I've found are reddish brown but this one (my favorite amongst) is mottled in color. I still need to clean this one up since it had goose barnacles (Lepas sp.) attached to it (white specks).

BURNEY BEAN
Burney in Old English means "island brook". We know these seeds locally as bayogon dikike (pronounce the y sound as a z) which literally means "knee cap small". Most of the ones I've collected are from the vine. They range in color from light to dark brown or mottled with black like the ones below. These seeds are the basis of the bayogo (bojobo) doll industry, seed leis and are extensively collected in the Mariana Islands. Like bayogon dankulu it is used in traditional medicine. Scientifically it is called Mucuna gigantea and like most of its family members, their seed pods have stinging hairs (trichomes) so you have to be careful collecting them. More on this on another post!
BROWN HAMBURGER BEAN
Hamburger beans (Mucuna sloanei) are a joy to find washed up on the beach. They are smaller in diameter and rounder than sea purses. The surface of the seed is polished but rough and the hilum is thick and dark.
Does this really look like a hamburger?
CANDLENUT
I was first made familiar with the kukui or candlenut (Aleurites molucanna) out of Hawaii's seed leis so I thought these were mainly from Polynesia. I now know that they are native in Asia and they even grow as close to us as Pohnpei. Maybe that's why they are pretty common drift seeds here. They polish quite nicely and I may have enough to put together for an authentic seed lei. Problem is if the seed inside is rotten, it is oily and pretty stinky so I will have to find a way to remedy those two problems. I haven't had much luck locating trees on Guam nor here on Saipan.
That's a nice shine! The seeds really take a good polish. Also, the oil inside the seed really does burn like a candle.

MARY'S or CRUCIFIX BEAN

Finding Mary's bean (Merremia discoidesperma) this past weekend was quite a surprise! This drift bean holds the record of having the longest drift of 15,000 miles (24,000 km). Sure other sea beans can stay buoyant longer potentially drifting father, but where they originally came from is hard to determine. Mary's bean has a limited range growing only in Mexico and Central America though.

Mary's bean has been found as far up north as Norway. If the record distance was set by beans found in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (Bikini and Wotho Atolls) then we may have a record breaker in our hands! Old Man by the Sea, Saipan, CNMI is farther than the RMI!
Because of the cross-like indentation on the "top" side of the bean, it has religious significance to some people. It is named after Mary, the mother of Christ and is also known as the Crucifixion or Crucifix bean. It is supposed to be good luck to carry one and women in labor carry them to ease the pain. Some of these are heirlooms being passed from one generation to the next.This is the record breaker's "bottom" showing the hilum, the scar where it once attached to its fruit.
GRAY NICKARBEANS OR NICKARNUTS

I love the unique look of the Gray nickarbeans (Caelsalpinia bonduc). They look like small gray eggs with parallel fracture lines. Nicker is a Jamaican word that came from the Dutch knickker, a baked clay marble. The Chamorros however locally call them, pakao. They are used in traditional medicine. Incidentally, bonduc came from the Tagalog word for mountain, bundok. Boondocks is also a Western derivative that means backwoods or out of way place.

I finally found some Gray nickarbean vines. They are pretty spiny which led to another common name, wait-a-bit vine. I am going to have to return to the spot see when they flower and bear fruits.
SCREWPINE
These aren't seed but are part of the woody part of the screwpine (Pandanus tectorius) fruit. I've used screwpine leaves for cordage but these specimens are so pretty that it looks easy to craft them into things. These are lightly sanded and once coated with tung oil. My BFF, Laurina, thinks they look kind of spooky because the holes look like the eyes and mouth of the grim reaper. I don't see it but do you?
This one is probably from a different Pandanus species that I've yet to identify. It's probably not from here since we really only have 2 species locally. It is pretty nonetheless!
I have found other interesting drift seeds and sea beans to share later. I finally identified a pretty weird looking black seed that felt and looked like a plastic ball. It turned out to be palm nuts from a species of prickly palm trees (Acrocomia mexicana) that grown in South America and West Indies. I didn't have any picture so I will have to share later.Hope you liked my stories. Check this and this which are other sites that are chock full of information on sea beans and drift seeds.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

P.S. I misidentified the Little marbles and you can read about their true identity here.

Incredible Sameness of Mind

I am in a contest with my own mind. I struggle to push out the things I do not need to worry about at certain times. Maybe I am just tired. I do feel a little over stretched. Anyway, I just got back a few weeks ago from another trip to Atlanta and Guam. I haven't had the energy to write about my time there but I will share soon. It was beautiful and fun but I need some serious time to recover and get back in the groove.

I'll just share about some simple but fun things I got while I was off-island:

SEEDS
There is a kiddy store at the Guam Premium Outlets that sells these seedling starter kits. DJ, my BFF's youngest son, has become a bit of a farmer so I thought these would be fun projects for him. I got mini pumpkins and strawberries (of all things) just to see if they'd grow.
Everything is labeled organic now. 100% green, recycled and organic it claims.I am sure the pumpkins will grow.
Not sure about these. We may have to start them off in the fridge.
The packet contains seeds, potting soil and the pot.
I hope they sprout! I should've gotten the peppers too.
BOTTLES
They had these tiny bottles of jams and honey along with the continental breakfast during my 3-day conference. I asked everyone I could for their empties. I'm going to put some of my sand collection in jars (the right one is unopened honey and the other one is filled with Tumon sand).

I also wanted to try this Italian spring water. For $3.00 I also got to keep the nice bottle. What a refreshing slice (drop) of Tuscany. What can I do with this now?
SHOES
Shopping on Guam is great. That's mostly because we don't have a proper mall on Saipan. I get to buy nice shoes for cheap whenever I go back!

My new shoes.
My old shoes. They're probably over 2 years old.
The mind likes what it likes I guess but they really are different. I mean, the new pair of dress shoes have laces. Okay, that's just because I couldn't find slip-ons that weren't too pointy at the ends. If I had money, I think I'd be a collector of shoes. Problem is I am a terrible supinator and I am a terrible shoe scuffer. One day, my blog identity will be: The Supenating Shoe Scuffer.

Good to be back. I miss you Saipan!

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Saipan Dandelions?

I have always been fascinated by dandelions and I finally found the "dandelion substitute" on Saipan that I was looking for!

It is apparently an introduced species that originally hailed from eastern and central Africa according to PIER. This is Emilia fosbergii which is more commonly known as Flora's paintbrush or red sow thistle. It is in the Aster family like the dandelion. It is named after the late Botanist Ray Fosberg whom you can read a little about in the University of Guam Herbarium website. You'll find information about my old biology professor there as well! Ah, the memories!

I thought I'd have to substitute the dandelion with a plant from a totally different family for wish making on Saipan (but I have a biology class story about that too!). Now that I found Emilia, I can make a proper wish.
When you find your dandelion, what will you wish for?

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

From Legend Retold

I have been following different sources on the U.S. Military expansion of Guahan. There are a lot of great articles, speeches on video clips, and other resources online so that one can follow along what is happening in the southern-most island of the Marianas. There are a great deal of voices that are making their concerns known through different avenues, and I am a bit worried that I am not hearing enough voiced concern here on Saipan, Tinian and Rota regarding detrimental effects that may occur due to the expansion involving the Northern Marianas. The usual sentiments mostly address how good it would be for the economy if there are is a market to whom we could sell our crops to, to lease land, and an extra population whom would visit the Commonwealth to expand tourism dollars.

A public hearing for discussions on the CNMI Draft Environmental Impact Study (D-EIS) )was yesterday. I couldn’t attend because it was in the morning. Also, a newspaper article said that it would be presented on Saipan yesterday the 27th, and then contradicted itself saying that it was on Friday instead at the end of the article (No time was given neither by the way). I heard about 50 people attended but also heard that there were no voices of concern about possible harm. An online version of the D-EIS is supposed to be put up today on the Commerce website .

Here is a video clip that I found on several blogs about the buildup. This happened recently in the village of Santa Rita and was attended by about 316 people. The clip has about 4 women sharing their concerns.

There are a lot of good materials coming out of Guahan and I will most likely link to them a little at a time. I did however make some new connections online with a few bloggers that are using good story telling and art for activism that made me think whether I should be contributing more to the discussions.

Drea of Waiting for Wonderland has this wonderful allegory that compares the Chamorro legend of a giant fish that was eating Guahan in the days of the ancients. The women are the heroines of the legend which is a reflection of the respect and empowerment that the ancient people have for women and their role in society. She wrote:

Sleepless in Wonderland: The Real Big Fish

As a child growing up on Guam, I heard many legends. Some I learned at school and some my parents told me. One legend that has been on my mind this past month, is the legend of thebig fish that ate Guam. You remember the legend, don't you? It explains why Guam is so narrow in the middle. As I was told, many many years ago a very large fish was eating away at our island. Many strong men tried to stop the fish, but none succeeded. At this time, the young women of Guam had beautiful long hair. One day the women decided to weave their hair in to a net. With the net made from their hair the women caught the big fish and saved the land and people from the monstrous fish.

The reason this legend has been on my mind, is because I've been looking at many maps of Guam recently. Yes, our island is narrow in the middle, but I've also noticed that there are many parts of our island that is innaccessible to the people of Guam. It's as if the big fish has returned. This big fish is feasting on the graves of our ancestors and land that is lush and beautiful. Sometimes this big fish spits out the the land, returning it to us, but by that time much of the land is contaminated.

What will our island look like 4 years from now? How much of it will be contaminated by the big fish? Where will we be 20 years from now? Will we be telling our grandchildren the story of the fish that annhilated our island?

We must gather together, like the women in the original legend, to defend our home, before there is nothing left to defend.

Her soul sister Nella of Resolution Tree added an illustration to the story of a Guahan that is “eaten up” by the “big fish” that is illustrative of DOD occupied land in 1991.

WHAT ABOUT CNMI?

I thought that I should attempt a political cartoon in homageto not only their creativeness but mostly due to their sincere concern for the future of Guahan and its people.

I also already have one sketched with a CNMI angle in which our people is represented by a hand readily handing over the islands of Tinian and Aguijan in a food bowl to the “big fish.” I hope it turns out good enough to start the gears working in our thoughts.

Aguijan from Tinian.

Are we really so eager to turn over Tinian and Aguijan? I love Tinian for how peaceful and beautiful it is. Aguijan is historically important as well, being the last place of resistance during the Chamorro-Spanish Wars. Here is a story about offering Aguijan as an “alternative” to Guahan. Here is a clue to an environmental impact that is already forseen if Tinian is taken over.
Let us talk stories about this again.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

Record. Research. Draw!

RECORD & DRAW
I noticed a vine growing in my friend's backyard some time ago. It caught my eye since the flowers were new to me. I messed up my digital camera a few months ago so I couldn't take any pictures. I remember a long time ago before the advent of digital cameras that I used to record things in a journal. I decided to commit what I saw to memory and draw what I could in a used notebook using a pen and colored pencils.

I took some time trying to remember details of the vine, flowers, seed pods and leaves. After reviewing later, I noticed that there were a lot of inaccuracies in my notes. Oh, well!A few days later, I was able to borrow my friend Ashley's camera but the flowers had all fallen off and the seed pods were all gone! I was pretty frustrated to say the least. I decided to ask the neighbor to see if he knew anything about the mystery plant. Good thing I asked because I found out that he was responsible for my missing samples.

He said that the Filipinos use the plant as a vegetable and the Ilocanos called them bagkobagkong and that the Pangasinans called them, abopoyat. He said that you can simply boil the seed pods and eat them like that. I imagined that they looked liked Psophocarpus tetragonolobus or winged beans (sigarillas in Tagalog; sigidiyas in Chamorro).

A few weeks later, there were more flowers and a few more seed pods. I just had to borrow Ashley's camera again. Recording what they looked like in pictures was just the beginning: Identifying them would take longer I figured.

The flowers.Flowers and heart-shaped leaves (I drew the leaves as a tripinnate incorrectly). The "winged" four-sided seed pods (I noted three-sided incorrectly). More seed pods and leaves.

Fresh leaves. The old ones turn a dull yellow color.

It is a good thing that plants and animals are grouped and classified according to similarities in their parts. The best clue I had to their identity also came from the neighbor who ate them! I didn't have a chance to see the pods mature so that I could look at the seeds, so I asked him if he knew what they looked like. He said that they were like cotton! That was a great clue because I thought that the fruits would contain "winged" seeds like the African tulip or gold or trumpet tree since their pod looked like dehiscent pods (pods that open when they mature and dry to disburse seeds).

RESEARCH
I know that milkweeds in the dogbane family had similar structures in seeds and seed pods, so it wasn't long before my Internet searches led me to upon the genus Hoya, or wax vines. This was a whole new world for me because I never knew that they had such a big following. People collect them like orchids and there are hybrids and highly sought after varieties.

I sought the help of Margie, a Swedish mother of 5, who owns a website on Hoyas called Hoyor.net that has been online since 1999. She is a collector and an expert with approximately 250 Hoyas in her collection! She pointed out that the leaves of my mystery vine did not come paired like all Hoyas and that they are probably a relative. She also pointed me to Ted Green of Rare-Hoyas.com. Ted's fame comes from the fact that he has introduced more than 1/3 of all the Hoyas currently being traded. He finally helped me identify my plant of genus Telosma! Thank you Ted & Margie!

A few more searches revealed that Telosma flowers are eaten as vegetables but only found one site about them in the from the Philippines. It's entitled Fruits & Vegetables of the Forest and calls Telosma precumbens, babagkong. The flowers are collected and eaten, and the site claims that these wild vegetables are more nutritious than the farmed vegetables (although more expensive). This is most likely the information that I was looking for! It also states that the vine flowers during the rainy months of June through December.

Here is a picture of the collected flowers from that website
(Food & Fertilizer Technology Center for the Asian and Pacific Region).

I also found some information on the Telosma that is eaten as a vegetable in Thailand. It is called Dok Kachorng in the Thai language and here is a photo from a blog showing a delicious looking Telosma stir fried with what looks like garlic and chicken. Looks yummy, right? Well, I’ll have to ask the local Thai restaurants here to see if they ever serve Dok Kachorng!

This photo is from this blog and they have pictorials and the recipe in Thai.

A Telosma native of China and India that has become a favorite lei flower in Hawai’i is the Pakalana, or Telosma cordata. The yellow green flowers are not really known for their beauty but more for their fragrance.

This picture of a gorgeous Pakalana and Pikake lei is from Sweetblossomshawaii.com

I found also found a plant survey online done in Guam's War in the Pacific National Historic Park. According to the article, they found Pakalana where the Piti Guns are located, and according to Dr. Lynn Raulerson (my old biology professor! Wootwoot!), they are most likely escapees from someones property that became naturalized there.

A Legend

It is said that the Pakalana’s fragrance becomes more intense in the evening. In fact the Chinese name, Ye Lai Xiang (夜来香), literally means, “fragrance comes through the night”. There is even a Chinese legend that tells of a fierce army that lay siege to a castle. As the day grew late, the Pakalana flowers that lined the countryside leading up to the castle started opening and sending out their fragrance. The later it became, the more intense the Pakalana’s perfume lingered in the air consequently, calming the soldier’s down. By nightfall, the soldiers were disarmed by the fragrance giving up the siege and the castle was, in the end, saved by the Ye Lai Xiang!

DRAW!

Well that is my story about my mystery vine. I hope you liked talking stories with me once again. I also hope that there is inspiration in this that taking notes the old fashion way is still a good way to record things that are important, and that all it takes are observation, some paper and something to write with. Plus, its fun to doodle stuff! I always appreciate a good Star Wars doodle!

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

P.S. If you want to research more Telosma cordata has other synonyms and many common names: Telosma minor, Pergularia minor, Oxystelma ovatum, Telosma odoratissima, Asclepias cordata, Pergularia odoratissima, Pakalana vine, Tonkin Jasmine, Cowslip Creeper, and Chinese violet. Sorry, but I could not find anything else about Telosma precumbens or if it is another synonym to T. cordata.

138: Fired up...Ready to go

I haven't had a television, cable service and satellite/digital service for that matter, for more than 10 years. Today at 4 in the morning, I woke up to my President talking about "firing up" the Health Care Reform debate in AFL-CIO's Labor Day Picnic live! There has been talk about him losing momentum and support about the debate. During the speech in Cincinnati, Ohio he thanked the laborers, investing in the middle class, talked about options, and called out his critics stating that beyond the criticism, what their their solutions? There has been a vigorous debate about the issue, but "now is the time to decide."

Like a lot of people, tackling health care disparities was one of the issues that was important enough for my consideration to support his presidency. When I go back home, I'll have to rely on the Tribune, Variety, radio and the Net to get updates. I felt the power of live media, in my President's moving speech. I am going to miss live television and sharing in the moment. "Ready to go!"

In other news, Tila Nguyen a.k.a. Tila Tequila, social networking celebrity of MySpace and Twitter, has stopped tweeting! Well, I am sure that this is a temporary setback to her social media activities due to an alleged attack by an NFL player.

People really follow this stuff no matter how important you may or may not see the issues to be. Mass media is powerful.

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

138: Always on my Mind

"Guam, you're always on my mind" goes the famous song by Jesse Bias. I'll be on Guam for a few days of work. Finishing my Atlanta posts will have to be delayed as I train, present, and visit family and friends.

Today is a holiday here on Guam, as it is as well as on Saipan. My friend Babs is close to delivering and went to a clinic this afternoon because of some tummy pain. Labor pains? Maybe. Well, it is Labor Day after all! Good luck, my friend!

Babs and Ashlynn

I still cant get a hold of my father, but my friends will be getting me soon for a home cooked meal Guamanian style! I cant wait to see all of them and the additions to their families. Oh, how I missed you, Guahan!

Ti napu.

The Beachcomber

PS. They put me in this fancy room at the Royal Orchid Hotel in Tumon which is very nice and the picture of Tumon Village is from their site.