Proto Polynesian: *Taputoki
REFLEXES IN SOME POLYNESIAN LANGUAGES:
Tongan: taputoki (Guioa lentiscifolia, Elattostachys apetala [Niua Islands], Sapindaceae)
Niuean: taputoki, tokitoki (Cryptocarya turbinata, Lauraceae)
Samoan: taputo'i (Elattostachys apetala, Guioa rhoifolia, Arytera brackenridgei, Cupaniopsis samoensis, Sapindaceae)
East Futunan: Taputoki ("A tree with very hard wood")
Maori: Tītoki (Electryon excelsus, Sapindaceae)

This name seems to have been applied primarily to trees belonging to the "soapberry" family, the Sapindaceae: it refers exclusively to such trees in Tonga and Samoa. These trees are characterized by a very hard wood which generally is too hard to use for general purposes, but makes excellent handles for axes, adzes and other tools where strength and resilience are prime requirements, hence the toki element in the name. The Māori word tītoki also includes this element, and likewise refers to a member of the Sapindaceae, Alectryon excelsus, closely related to one of the Samoan taputoki, Alectryon samoensis. The Samoan tree is endemic to Samoa, and rather rare. Its shiny black seeds, similar to those of the tītoki, are illustrated on the left. In Samoa it is a medium-sized tree found mostly at higher altitudes. Cupaniopsis samoensis is another tree endemic to Samoa, and found at higher altitudes, above 1000 m. Its very hard wood is used for axe handles. It has dusky-brown bark, and grows to about 10 metres.

The most common and widely distributed of these trees is Elattostachys apetala, which is indigenous to Vanuatu, Tonga, Niue, and Samoa. It is also found in New Caledonia. It grows to about 20m high. The tough white wood is so hard that it is not widely used; however it is valued as a wood for making tapa anvils, tool handles, some other artifacts and house parts. It is one of the major tree species in lowland forests, present as a canopy tree from 30-1530 metres. It is a fast-growing tree so it forms one of the dominant species in secondary forests, especially in Tonga. The flowers are arranged in racemes and there are separate male and female flowers on the same tree. It has small fruits with seeds that are eaten by pigeons and starlings.

Arytera brackenridgii is also indigenous to Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. In Samoa it is found on lava flows and secondary forest from sea level to about 550 m. The hard, cream-coloured wood is used for house posts and house parts. It grows to about 10 m high in Samoa, but much higher in Fiji -- up to around 25 m.

Guioa rhoifolia Is found in lower montane forest to about 750 m in Samoa, Tonga and Fiji. In Samoa it is a small tree, growing to about 3 m in height and rather rare. In Fiji, however, it will grow to about 9 m, although in very exposed places it may only be a metre or so high. The leaves and leaf stalks are 3 to 9 cm long, lance-shaped, but somewhat lopsided in appearance, glossy-green with conspicuous lighter-coloured midribs. It has small white flowers; the female flowers have stamens with red anthers. The tree has brown fruits with glossy red or red-brown seeds. In Fiji, it is used for posts, stakes, timber for houses, and firewood. A closely-related species, Guioa lentiscifolia, is endemic to Tonga.

Cryptocarya turbinata is the odd-plant-out in this series. It belongs to the same plant family (Lauraceae) as cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) and cassia (C. cassia), famous for their aromatic bark and oils, and the bay tree (Laurus nobilis), noted for its aromatic leaves. In Niue, Yuncker (Plants of Tonga) says it's a small tree about 4 m tall, but elsewhere it grows from 6 to 25 m high and in Fijian forests it may be found up to about 1300 m above sea level. It has brown flowers with yellow-tinged tepals; the fruit is jet-black when ripe. The tree is found natively in Fiji, Tonga (Vava'u), Samoa and Niue. It is in Niue where it is called Taputoki, and the aromatic bark is used for scenting oils.