Saturday, July 7, 2007

WELETI (Carica papaya)

Weleti or Maoli or Uto Weleti (in Fijian) is a common tree with yummy edible fruit that many, who grew up in Fiji would know. There are many species of this tree and it can be called Papaya or paw-paw. This particular papaya tree is cultivated for its delicious fruit and found throughout the tropics. The fruit of the weleti can be eaten when its ripe or even when its green. The green pawpaw is commonly cooked in coconut cream with fish, and is a very tasty dish indeed. The islands of Lau use pawpaw alot in their cooking as it grows well on limestone islands.
What other uses are there for these Weleti trees?
Now from the fruit to the other parts of the pawpaw tree, a mouth wash made from scrapings of the inner bark is given for tooth-aches. The juice of the stem is applied directly to boils on legs and the rest of the bark is utilized in preparing poultice to be held on boils. Sap squeezed from the stem is also applied locally in the treatment of wounds. The root is employed in a remedy for yellow breast milk and also promotes production of breast milk.
In New Guinea, the crushed leaves are used externally to cure headaches and treat cuts. The stem sap is applied to scores of the fungal disease ringworm. Juice from the fruit is used to treat skin infections, cuts and ringworm. Liquid pressed from the plant and fruit is taken to remedy intestinal parasites and stomach ache.
In Micronesia, the root is chewed to produce a juice which is applied directly to ulcers on the cornea of the eye. Sores caused by ringworm fungus are treated with the white sap. Toothaches, boils, wounds, yellow breast-milk, production of breast milk. Headaches, cuts, wounds, fungus disease ringworms, induce abortion, skin infections, intestinal parasites stomach ache, and ulcer on the cornea of the eye.

8 comments:

The Inspired Edit said...

wow! thank you soo much for this blog! i've been searching around the net for my answer to my projects.

I'm doing my her barium project in school...and we have to find different leaves in the loacal ares,find their:

1.)Name of the plant
2.)part of the plant used
3.)Method of preparing the plant
4.)Direction
5.)use of the plant

so do you think you guys can help me in naming 5 medicinal plants? and the required stuff for the project? coz i dnt really knw much about the plants here in Fiji. i tried searching the net but can't find any good websites. or can help me find sites that can help?

thnx

The Inspired Edit said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
The Inspired Edit said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Belinda said...

thanks for the interesting info on herbal remedies. could you elaborate a bit further on how the preparation for the pawpaw mouth wash/tooth reliever.
thanks

rosi waqasaqa said...

parts of the plant used

rosi waqasaqa said...

parts of the plant used??

rosi waqasaqa said...

parts of the plant used??

rosi waqasaqa said...

parts of the plant used