ATOLL RESEARCli BULLETIN

7. The of Arno Atoll,

Issued by

PACIFIC SCIENCE BOARD

National Research Council

Washington, D. C.

November 15, 1951 THE PLANTS OF .WJO ATOLL., MARSHALL ISLjJDS

by Donald Anderson .., SCIENT'I~TCINVE:STIGA~IONS IN MLCI1ONSSIR - PACIFIC SCIBtcE BOARD

30 June 1950

This is a preliminary report on fielci nork in botany during the period Play 5 - 30, 1950, on Arno Atoll in the Marshall Islands. ,. 1. To make possible the defhite determination of species of pl-ants referred to in Marshallese names.

2. To make as complete a collection as possible of Arno ato1.l plants.

3. To collect the Arno version of the Marshallese name of each plant species and variety collected.

4. To make tentative determinations of each species collected. 5. To comelatc? the Marshallese and the botanical names with each numbered herbarium specimen in order to make possib'e a careful study and check of the field idektifikations.

6. To furnish the other members of the study team with as much of this information as possible prior to their de~arturefrom Honolulu en route to Arno Atoll for their field rork.

The major portion of the collecting cas done on the island of ,he because of the easy access from Sne Village whe& the laboratory aqd quar- ters mere established. Ice. Island, whi,ch is situated on the south side of the- lagoon, is thirteen n~il~sin length and fairly characteristic of Ax%o Atoll floristically. Several spzcies of Arno Atoll plant,s are missing from." Ine Island, however. . .

he total collection on Arno Atoll "as 169 herbari3>mnumbers. Of these 13~'number.swere collected on Ine 1sla:;d. On a three d;ly canoe trip to the north and west sides of the la.goon 75 more numbzrs were collected. Collecting during this trip was limited to species not collected in fruit or on Ine Island, or not occurring there at all. The?e kere sixteen additional species collected on the trip, one being seen later on Ine. Additional fertile specimens were also collected which pre- viously had been collected only without fruit or ?lower on Ine Island. In collecting informr.tion regarding local plant names care was taken to ascertain the accurasy of the informants in giving Arno Atoll nmes rather than names from other a.tolls. An at- tempt was made to use exclusively locally born informants. The people of krno showed keen interest in the work and exhibited rather accurate knowledge as to localities in which each species could be found. They informed me prior to the caiioe trip across the lagoon that there were a dozen more species to be found on these windviard islands of the atoll, none of which was to be found on Ine Island. Th3.s was borne out in the collecting, for therewere fifteen additional' species which were not seen or collected on Ine.

Thourzh- onlv" two additional snecies were collected on Bikarej IslanG, the mangrove swamp there was quite different from any seen on my other island visited. --Sonneratia caseolaris- was one of these two suecies. The other species was not a man- pove species but ~orthacaL*samoens;~ which was growing in the roadwav. (Onlv tvo sterile glents were seen.: There is an aberrakt form of Pemphis in khe salt swaxys, however. was an6 still is an im2ortant food plant. Sixteen named varieties were collected on krno Atoll and there are more varieties that were not collected. The fwno informants claimed that o the seeds produced by these varieties donot produce the same variety but that the common wild variety~usuallyresults. They said it was necessary to plant a branch-from the variety desired in order to increase a given variety. This seems to indicate that the varieties we rnerelv clones. It is m:? oainion that there 1s but one species of ---pandanus t'nere and that it is Pandanus tectorius.

Breadfruit, ----Artocarpus --->altilis also had a number of varieties. According to tine inforxants there are six varieties of seedless and t~ovarieties of seed . Of the seed varieties two named varieties are 'easily disting~ishedby the shape. "h$ztetett variety has deeply incised while 11171 5 variety has entire to. shallowli?y incised leaves. The initiated can distingish the fruits by taste. Attached is a list of species collected on Arno Atoll with Narshallese names and herbarium numbers. --Ecology The outer shores of the v:indward j.sle'is are generally rough- er and wider than those of the leeward islets. The vegetation fringes of the seawalXd shores on the wind- ward islets differ somewhat fron: those of the leeward islets. 5iorking t0ward.s the lagoon from the sea on the windward islets the species are generally encountered in the fol.lowlng order: Scaevola f rutescens Kesserschmidtia srffentea P andanus tectorius - --.--) -.-. _-9 ------.--) then -----Guettarda ~peciosa,1ntsinFyr Ochrosia parvif lora, . .&)-.------A1loph:yllus -timorensis, ---Terminalia Il.tora!.is, Pisonia grandis, v~ith Polg.,.odium-- -scol.opendria .- on the forest 'Tloor. In places where-the shoreline is bei~gerocled by wave action Darringtonia asiatica, ---Hernandia sonora, --Cordia subcordata, and Caloph~llum inoph:rlium over,liang --the shore. -- The seamrd shore vegetation frainge on the lee~wrdislets of the atoll differs from the above pattern. Scaevola frutescens --,- --- forms a nearly nure stand from the sea inland three to ten meters with scattered irees of Lesserschmidtia, . Guettarda-.J ?andanus; then these species are accompanied by Cordia ---..-subcordata , --Ochrosia parviflo~,and an occasional -.--Sntsia -bTBor ---Terminalia --li toralis. ---Penphis ----acidula is coxmon in areas ~!her:: salt mter washes across to the lagoon side at nigh tide.. In such places they sometimes form pure stands. In the central portion of' the islets the soil improves in hums content. The soil isgray to black with varying composi- tion of sand, coral fragments and black humus. Thin area is the cultivated portion as a rv.le, Breadfruit, bananas, papayas, %akmokt' or leontopetaloides ------9 and coconuts are grown. Rere the deep pits for growing- are located.. TWO species of taro are to be found: Cyrtosperma --.-chamissonis and Cclocasia ---- esculenta. Limes are usually found growing on the edges of the pits. On many of tne islands there are saline swamps in the cen- tral portion of the island. Clerodendrum-- inerme is cormonly found on the margins of these areas with --.-Bruguiera the dominarit tree, thou-gh occasionally ----Lumitzera -littorea is associated with -'--Srupuiera conjugata, as is the case in the easternmost end of Ine Island. Sonneratia caseolaris was also found in a saline swamp on Eikarej Islet.-%'here were less than a dozen o1.d Sonrleratia trees seen there, growing on the side of the scmmp bordering- a saline lake. The opposite shore of tlrjs sait lake rh!as fringed with pure stands of ----Percphis , The lazoon shore vegetation fringe is largely planted to coconuts; however, there are areas in ??hlch the natural vegeta- tion still exists.

In the drier lagoon shores ?enphis acidula, Suriana --* maritirna and Sophorn -tomentosa arc growing in association with Scaevola ---&,frutesce~s Messerschmidtia -.--- -,---.-ar~entea., and --.-Cordia -.----subcordata. -.-- Suriana is found on thS beach where the' salt v:a.ter ~rashesthe roots at high tide. It ,v?as only seen in this typ.e of situation. . . . . Elsewhere on the 'lagoon shore, -2x-C alopt llum inophyllum, '. P.andani;s tectoriirswe, Termina%~a,litoralis -9 and the same elements mentioned. above are found in va~:ious,combinations.

Acknowledgments:

.. .. I wish to acknov:l.edge mitli sincere patitude the assistance so generously given v/bich made this f iela work possible, Th.anks are due the Pacific Sciencegoard . of. the NatlonalResearch Conn- cil, , the Off ice of haval' Research, the Xavy admini stration. of the Trust Territory, both in Pearl fiarbor and the Marshalls, Bnd the YCilitary Air Transport Service. Special thanks go to 1.k. Harold J. Coolidge, Zxecutive Secretary of the Pacific Science Board; Niss Xrnestine Iikers, Honolulu Secretary of the Pacific Science Board; Dr. F. R. Fosberg; Captain Cecil Gill, overn nor ofthe !.:arshalls; and Commander R. ''1. Kenney, and their staffs. King Tobo and Lajibli, Chief lagistrate of Arno Atoll, for their un- tiring effarts in my behalf deserve special mention, as do all. the peoplft- of Arno lltoll. Thanks also go to LCdr Prank Avila at Kwa jalein,. and kir. Flobert P. Owen, Staff Quarantine Officer for Guam and the Trust Territory, for their generous help in many ways.

Donald Anderson :3onolulu 30 June 1950 Bwilbwilikka j

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IT-:..a. This lar t icular varLety - blijwan. Asciepias- curassavica IZappok, 1510 Asp1,enium nidus Kar$65 - -. -- --Barringtonia nslntica Oob .. . Boerhsvia diffusa Marmilli?i .-- - --3ougainvillea --gl abra Ikdrel el J& -Bruguiera conjugata .,

-Brgophyllum - pinnatum- . : Kibilia -Caesalpinia -crista R5liklik ----Caesalpinia pulchergri Jeisata -Caloahyllum ---Inophyllum Luw e j -.- -Ca-navalia - ---ensif orml.3 : Joko, sisnen, Xarlap -----Canavalia -microcarpa . . . T7i arI ap --Canna (indica?)--- .' kc --Capsicum -frutescens' Pepa -~ardamine - species -.-Carica papaya Keinabu Cassytha ---f il iformis ~Canon

Catharanthus roseus Ran non ran ,. .-v --Ceiba pentandra- :Cot in -Cenchrux echinatirs- Lellik Centella.- asiatica R?:ladriko -.--Citrus sp. Laim Clerodendrum --inerme Ule j Cocos nucif era N i . .. --Codiaeum -varAatum -- ~rot~?:,Loimjikitok Colocasia escu.lenta- ycdtak Cordia subcordata- ~ono Crinum bakeri (?) . , Crinurn macrantherum Kigp mn (white flower) 11 u. . ,. Kibp wan (flower ma- roon and white) ...... ,

Cu-curbita pepo , . : .. -Baiike - -- ......

Cgcas circinalis , , , , Lokok , ...... Cyperus. --kyllingia Cyperus rotundus Tuteoneon - -- . ,. . . Cyperus sp. Riikor . . s j Cyrtosperma chamis soni ... Iara.~ -Dryopteris dentata (sterllo) Kinen mennuel ihraritn repens Jab meloklok '' : 7-- -Eleusine ---indica Bate juk juk ---2a;:rostis --amabilis Ujoij rjjoij Jedrol Nukuni

l'obro Dr,oli jman 6enkotkot ~bolasti'6 Kot 7.n

' iut Iiino j !'Jut lamjen

. .. Hernandla s onora Hibiscus- ----tiliaceus

--.-Hibiscus liy~rid ---Sibiscus species Xiopobroma longif lora Txtrenely poisonous -2- - (no local name) ---Hymenocallis ----littoralis lii6p in wau ---Intsia bi juga ~ub'o:~ ----Inocarpus ----edulis KGr ak Ipomoea -batatas Blteto --Ipomoea ----gracilis 1.:ali:cok - ipornoen-- -.-tuba K arbeie --Ixora sp. La jdro

- iii - Jussiaea- suffruticosa.- 'Xut i Lurlep -----Lea turus ---rcpens '3joi j --.-.-LumJtzera ----'littorea Kimeme -Eessersclun3.dia - argentea Kidr en ibil- 3alapa Emen aiio

-Morinda-.- -.citrifolia --- ' Non -Musa -- cavendishii ~abraz,Binana -Xusa paradisiaca- Kabran', Binana. This particular variety-

Nephrolepis- --- hirsutula ~nomkadredre

Nerium --oleander Olianta Ochrocarpus excelsus I joo --Ochrosia -parviflora KiJbar Oc%mu.m ---sanctum Katrin" O~lismemrsspecies (sterile) Baidrik Pandanus tectorius ~'c;~ 7.TiXZTe s f olirunder this heading)

3689 ' Pandanus tectorius- variety A jbwir'bk

3699 I1 ' It tl ~llorg6n 3630 I1 I1 IT Anberia

II 11 3694 !I fin~bklznar

11 II 369 5 II Benuk Pandanus tectorius +ak.iety Edrwan

11. tf 11 Edwanenannelu

I1 If 11 . . Jab'dnhok

. 11 11 I1 . . Joibeb 11 11 It Lerro

11 I1 11. Loarri~e 11 I! I1 Le ;ok&r er

-11 I1 It LO% iZ

Paspalum -,con;ju,c:&u~ ,No local name..known . . . , Paspal.um va~inatum - I1.- Kate juk juk Pemphis aci.dula li'd?ie --A- . . Pemphis sp. -- ..' Kei jor -Peperomia sp. DreSijdreke .* .. Physal.1-s anpulata (?) Kaoror

--Ph::l lanths nirur i Jil jlno au6 Pip turus argenteus-- iirme . . -.. 2isoni.a grandis aanal- -- . ,. . ,.. Flumeria rubra (?) Eeria . . .. . -Polypodium -.scolopendria Kino . , ...... Po1;scias fruticosa O~namentalhedge .. . . . ( skilb)

Larze. 1 eared kedge plant - no local name linoxn --Portulaca (lutea?) No name known 37 54 -.Portulaca -----samoonsis 1% j on 3709 --Psiloturn am(?) as 3661 Pseuderan themum- at~opurpureum- Tiros bii;" 3660 -Pseuderanthemurn --.--reticulaturn(?) T:ros pilu 3714 --Randia -graeff ei Kielomar 3621 Rhoeo discolor xi& (?) 3712 ---Saccharum ---off icinarum To'o (sugar cane) 3609 Scaevola -.--frutescens 581. aeme (Purple flowered form) 3610 11 11 ~Znnat,Karilik ( common form) 37 30 -Sida -.-fallex xieo 3672 Solanum nigrum Name unknown. Only one plant seen.

Sonneratia caseolaris .. . , - . ... Sophora tomentosa Kille ---- ,.. .. Soulamea- -- amara Keinwa . ,, ...... *'- ,L -Swiana maritima- Nione Tacca leontepetaloides RI aknibk ---. .. . Terminclia --catappa Kotel ,.-'' . - Terminalia litorali s Kukon - .- ...... Thuarea -involuta

P!l ar je j, P arkwbwebwe

15;t inKabili% (re- cently introduced) 3756 Ximenla- -.-.- americana 3620 Zephyrantnas rosea No name imam (small --.-- ..-. ma-.- lily) 3723 E'ungm - unident!fied 3734 I! 11 3755 Seaweed - unidestified

Pacific Sclence Board L ember s hashingtoa Off ice Honolulu 3fPice Navy Department Office of Island Governments Office of Nsval Research