Half-flower (nanåsu)

The Half-flower is easy to spot – its flower looks like a daisy that has been cut exactly in half.

War in the Pacific National Historical Park

The Half-flower is a shrub commonly found in coastal areas. It reaches 1 to 2 meters (4-6 ft) in height and spreads laterally with many branches. It tends to grow in thickets. The leaves are oval-like in shape and somewhat succulent. The fruit is white and slightly fleshy with a diameter of 1 cm (0.4 in). The conspicuous characteristic of this plant is also the reason for its English name – half-flower. The flower looks like a small daisy that has been cut exactly in half. The half-flower is made up of five small, white petals that are often streaked with purple.

Traditional Uses

Botanist William Safford, who visited Guam at the turn of the 20th century, noted that the Half-flower was not used as food, nor was the wood of value. According to Beatrice Nelson, a suruhana (traditional healer), the white, ripe fruit could be squeezed as drops into the eye to soothe inflammations.