Lankesteriana International Journal on Orchidology ISSN: 1409-3871
[email protected] Universidad de Costa Rica Costa Rica Cribb, Phillip J.; Whistler, W. Arthur THE ORCHIDS OF TONGA, NIUE, AND THE COOK ISLANDS Lankesteriana International Journal on Orchidology, vol. 11, núm. 2, agosto, 2011, pp. 99- 177 Universidad de Costa Rica Cartago, Costa Rica Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44339821001 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative LANKESTERIANA 11(2): 99—177 . 2011. TH E O RCHI DS OF TONGA, NIU E, AN D TH E COOK ISLAN DS Philli P J. C ribb 1 & W. A rthur W histler 2 1Royal BotanicGardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, U.K.
[email protected] 2Botany Department, 3190 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822, U.S.A.
[email protected] Geo GR aPHY, V eGeTaTI on , an D flo Ra Tonga Tonga, which lies at a latitude of 15–23° S and a longitude of 173–177° W, comprises about 150 islands with a total area of 697 km 2, with only about 36 of these islands currently inhabited. The islands of the archipelago are mostly coralline and “continental,” and lie on the eastern edge of the Asia-Australia Plate. The archipelago forms a double chain of islands running in a north-northeast direction with small, high, volcanically active islands to the west, and lower, larger, raised coral islands to the east.