ATOLL RESEARCH BULLETIN NO. 392 THE FLORA OF NAURU RR THAMAN, F.R FOSBERG, EL MANNER AND D.C. HASSALL ISSUED BY NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL J!WTORY SMllTJ!WNIAN INSTlTUTION WASHINGTON, D.C, USA FEBRUARY 1994 DEDICATION We dedicate this Flora of Nauru to Joseph Detsimea Audoa, his family and the people of the Republic of Nauru who have had their precious island and its flora destroyed and degraded as a result of wars and exploitation beyond their control. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to acknowledge, in particular, the late Honorable Joseph Detsimea Audoa, the Minister of Health and Education at the time of the commencement of the study and later Minister of Justice in the Government of Nauru, who, because of his vision and commitment to the culture and environment of Nauru, initiated and provided the financial support for the study of the flora of Nauru. He was particularly concerned that the plants of Nauru and their cultural uses be recorded before such knowledge was lost. We also acknowledge Mr. Lisle Newby, the then Director of Education, who, along with Joe Audoa, were the main supporters of the project, and who provided valuable logistical support throughout. Special thanks are also given to our main local informants and assistants, the Reverend James Aingimea and the late Henry Michael Heine; and to Daphne Fotu, Jacob Gabwinare, Katarina Satto, Kenia Raidinen, Reynold Capelle, Eda Adam and Montiba Star, our main informants in relation to the cultural uses and Nauruan names of plants. Our thanks also go to the Honorable Lawrence Stephen, Minister of Education during part of the project; Obera Menke, Robert Kaierua, Leo Keke, Delilah Capelle, Eddie Borak, John Healy, Gary Bailey, Dennis and Ria Berdinner, Julie Olsson, Dennis Ketner, Sio Fotu, Pine Harrison, John Brechtefeld, Rene Harris, Porthos Bop, Jacob Aroi, Leon Thompson, Benjamin Morgan, Iosefa Elisala and Teaora Tabanou, all of whom contributed in some way to the success of the study. To others who helped in any way during our study, we also give thanks. Thanks are also due to those people, who over the past 100 years, have collected and identified plants on Nauru; and to Saula Vodonaivalu of the South Pacific Regional Herbarium of The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji who identified, preserved and is the curator of the herbarium specimens collected by Thaman, Manner and Hassall. Without their efforts, this flora, would have been impossible. Similarly, we would like to thank The University of the South Pacific for the support it has provided throughout the duration of the study, both as the institution where the study was initiated and completed and as Nauru's own university of which it is one of twelve regional member countries. In addition to the above acknowledgements, Fosberg wants to mention the substantial assistance given him during his week-long visit to Nauru in 1983 This visit was at the invitation of Mr. Richard Wood, accountant for the Nauru government, who made the arrangements for the visit and who served as guide during the first day, reaching areas not otherwise accessible. The success of this visit was also made possible by transport and guidance by Mrs. Joan Nichols of the Australian High Commis- sion's office. In her company much of the interior of the island and some of the local gardens were visited and many plant specimens were gathered. The success of this visit was largely due to the two people mentioned above, and their company in the field was much enjoyed and appreciated. Many thanks! Finally, we wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the people of Nauru whose warmth and hospitality made our work on their beautiful but damaged island so enjoyable and worthwhile. To all of you, TUBWA KOR, R.R Thaman, F.R. Fosberg, H.I. Manner and D.C. Hassall Suva, Fiji June 1993 CONTENTS PAGE PART I: INTRODUCTION AND ANALYSIS OF THE VEGETATION AND FLORA INTRODUCTION PREVIOUS STUDIES CURRENT STUDY BACKGROUNDONNAURU Physical Environment The People Development History Contemporary Economy Impact on the Flora VEGETATION TYPES Coastal Strand Vegetation Mangroves and Coastal Marsh Vegetation Relict Stands of Inland Forest Limestone Escarpment or Pinnacle Vegetation Coconut-Palm- and Pandanus-Dominated Agricultural Lands Houseyard Gardens and Urban Vegetation Ruderal Vegetation Phosphate-Mined Lands THE FLORA Nature of Indigenous Species Comparison with Other Island Floras Nature of Exotic Species ECOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL UTILITY OF EXISTING FLORAS GONCLUSION PART 11: A COMPILATION OF THE VASCULAR FLORA OF NAURU KEY LatinIScientific Names Family Common Names Vernacular Names Antiquity Status Geographical Origin Abundance or Frequency Occurrence Species Description Uses and Cultural Utility Collectors and Herbarium Specimens VASCULAR PLANTS OF NAURU PTERIDOPHYTA (Ferns and Fern Allies) ASPLENIACEAE DAVALLIACEAE OPHIOGLOSSACEAE POLYPODIACEAE PSILOTACEAE PTERIDACEAE GYMNOSPERMAE (Gymnosperms) ARAUCARIACEAE CYCADACEAE ANGIOSPERMAE (Angiosperms or Flowering Plants) MONOCOTYLEDONAE ARACEAE ARECACEAEIPALMAE BROMELIACEAE CANNACEAE COMMELINACEAE CYPERACEAE DIOSCOREACEAE IRIDACEAE LILIACEAE (Including Agavaceae and Amaryllidaceae) MARANTACEAE MUSACEAE ORCHIDACEAE PANDANACEAE POACEAE OR GRAMINEAE PONTEDERIACEAE STRELITZIACEAE TACCACEAE ZINGIBERACEAE DICOTYLEDONAE ACANTHACEAE AMARANTHACEAE ANACARDIACEAE ANNONNACEAE APIACEAE OR UMBELLIFERAE APOCYNACEAE AQUIFOLIACEAE ARALIACEAE ASCLEPIADACEAE ASTERACEAE OR COMPOSITAE BALSAMINACEAE BASELLACEAE BEGONIACEAE BIGNONIACEAE BOMBACEAE BORAGINACEAE BRASSICACEAE OR CRUCIFERAE CACTACEAE CAPPARIDACEAE OR CAPPARACEAE CARICACEAE CASUARINACEAE CHENOPODIACEAE CLUSIACEAE OR GU?TIFERAE COMBRETACEAE CONVOLVULACEAE CRASSULACEAE CUCURBITACEAE ERICACEAE EUPHORBIACEAE FABACEAE OR LEGUMINOSAE GENTIANACEAE GERANIACEAE GESNERIACEAE GOODENIACEAE HERNANDIACEAE LAMIACEAE OR LABIATAE LAURACEAE LECYTHIDACEAE LYTHRACEAE MALPIGHIACEAE MALVACEAE MELIACEAE MORACEAE MORINGACEAE MYRTACEAE NYMPHAEACEAE NYCTAGINACEAE OLEACEAE ONAGRACEAE OXALIDACEAE PASSIFLORACEAE PIPERACEAE POLYGALACEAE POLYGONACEAE PORTULACACEAE RHAMNACEAE RHIZOPHORACEAE ROSACEAE RUBIACEAE RUTACEAE SAPINDACEAE SAPOTACEAE SAXIFRAG ACEAE SCROPHULARIACEAE SOLANACEAE STERCULIACEAE SURIANACEAE TILIACEAE URTICACEAE VERBENACEAE VITACEAE BIBLIOGRAPHY LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Antiquity status of the flora of Nauru Table 2. Species indigenous or possibly indigenous to Nauru Table 3. Frequency of use for specified purposes of plant species present in Nauru Table 4. Species of particular cultural utility on Nauru LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix I. Class, subclass, family and antiquity status of the vascular flora of Nauru Appendix 11. Nature and ecological and cultural (ethnobotanical) importance of coastal plant species of the tropical Pacific Ocean THE FLORA OF NAURU A COMPILATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE VEGETATION AND FLORA OF THE EQUATORIAL PACIFIC OCEAN ISLAND OF NAURU BY R.R. THAMAN1, F.R. FOSBERG2, H.I. MANNER3 AND D.C. HASSALL4 PART I. INTRODUCTION AND ANALYSIS OF THE VEGETATION AND FLORA The recorded flora of the raised phosphatic limestone island of Nauru in the equatorial Pacific Ocean consists of approximately 493 species. Only 59 are possibly indigenous, none of which are endemic. The balance is composed of ornamentals, weedy exotics, food plants, and a limited number of other useful cultigens. Twelve of the recorded species are either extinct or were never successfully established on Nauru. Long human settlement, expansion of coconut monoculture during the colonial period, widespread destruction during World War 11, and almost a century of open-cast phos- phate mining, have led to serious vegetation degradation, disturbance, and displacement l. Professor of Pacific Islands Biogeography, Department of Geography, School of Social and Economic Development, The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji. 2. Emeritus Professor of Botany, Botany Department, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D. C. 3. Professor of Geography, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Social Science and Anthropology, University of Guam, Mangilao, Guam. 4. Former Senior Lecturer in Biology, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji. Manuscript received 12 July 1993; revised 6 August 1993. of the indigenous flora. Although greatly outnumbered by exotics, indigenous species still dominate some of the most disturbed habitats, as well as constituting the most culturally- utilitarian and ecologically-importan t species. The flora is in two parts. PART I: INTRODUCTION AND ANALYSIS OF THE VEGETATION AND FLORA, includes a brief discussion of: 1) previous studies and the current study; 2) the physical environment, people, development history and contem- porary economy of Nauru; 3) the nature of the existing flora and vegetation associations of Nauru; and, 4) an analysis of the ecological and cultural importance of the flora in the context of modern small-island development. PART 11: A COMPILATION OF THE VASCULAR FLORA OF NAURU, consists of a listing of all vascular plants reported to have been present on Nauru, along with relevant information on each species. Although a number of persons have collected plants on Nauru over the past century, this constitutes the first extensive flora the of vascular plants of the island. The plants are listed in alphabetical order by family and species within families, starting with the ferns and gymnosperms and then angiosperms, with monocotyledons listed first. Information on each species, variety or subspecies includes: 1) scientific