Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 3. Terrestrial Resources
Draft 1 March 2007
Scytonema hofmanni. These were all dormant during dry seasons, but created algal masses
after periods of rain. There was also an unidentified blue-green algae that was pink.
Walker (1955) reported that Abariringa (Canton) residents had recently planted a thousand
coconut trees. Walker (1955) reported observing several introduced plant species on
Abariringa (Canton). These included: poinsettia, mimosa, castor bean, Mediteranean olive
trees, tobacco plant, papaya, sea grapes, spider lilies, and morning glories.
Hatheway (1955) noted that Abariringa (Canton) rainfall was 19 inches annually and that
there were 14 species of plants there (see also Wiens 1962). Compared with other islands,
both rainfall and number of plant species were low. The more rainfall, the more species of
plants were found (Wiens 1962).
Most of the plant species introduced to Abariringa (Canton) in 1950 did not survive (Degener
and Degener 1959). Apparently gardens around the housing area and the terminal building
had been sprayed with weed killer, not insecticide as intended.
In 1958, only one coconut tree was large enough to bear fruit (McIntire 1960). Many coconut
trees were infested with scale. There were 2 small date palm trees, Phoenix dactylifera, that
were being grown in a garden (Degener and Degener 1959; McIntire 1960).
Degener and Degener (1959) noted and provided descriptions of the establishment of the
following species:
1) Pandanus tectorius
2) Cenchrus echinatus
3) Chloris inflata
4) Cynodon dactylon
5) Digitaria henryi
6) Digitaria pacifica
7) Digitaria sanguinalis
8) Digitaria timorensis
9) Eragrostis amabilis
10) Eragrostis whitneyi
11) Lepturus pilgerianus
12) Lepturus repens
13) Panicum distachyum
14) Panicum miliaceum
15) Pennisetum setosum
16) Setaria verticillata
17) Tricholaena rosea
18) Cyperus javanicus
19) Cyperus polystachyos
20) Cyperus rotundus
21) Fimbristylis dichotoma
22) Fimbristylis pycnocephala
23) Cocos nucifera
24) Phoenix dactylifera
25) Rhoeo spathacca
26) Setcreasea purpurea
27) Sansevieria cylindrica
24
64) Calotropis gigantea var. wilderi
65) Ipomoea batatas
66) Ipomoea tuba
67) Ipomoea pes-caprae subsp.
brasiliensis
68) Cordia sebestena
69) Cordia subcordata
70) Stachytarpheta jamaicensis
71) Capsicum frutescens
72) Lycopersicum esculentum var.
commune
73) Lycopersicum esculentum subsp.
Galena
74) Nicotiana glauca
75) Petunia hybrida
76) Physalis angulata
77) Solanum melongena var. esculentum
78) Casasia clusiifolia
79) Morinda citrifolia
80) Citrullus vulgaris
81) Cucumis dipsaceus
82) Cucumis melo
83) Scaevola sericea
84) Gaillardia picta
85) Pluchea indica
86) Tagetes sp.
87) Conyza canadensis