SEEDS PLANTS OF FIJI

Caesalpinia bonduc (Caesalp.; widespread in tropical areas) is a liane or scrambling shrub of
coastal thickets and forest, sometimes occurring in mangrove or on limestone.
Derris trifoliata (Faba.; East Africa to Tonga/Samoa) is a scrambling liane frequent near the
sea in thickets or forest edge vegetation, sometimes on limestone cliffs or the edges of
mangrove swamps.
Mucuna gigantea (Faba.; India to Societies/Hawaii) is a high climbing liane usually in
coastal thickets, sometimes recorded from mangrove edge.
Canavalia sericea (Faba.; Micronesia to eastern Polynesia) is a prostrate or scrambling vine
on beaches, along rocky coasts or in coastal thickets, and sometimes on limestone.
Vigna marina (Faba.; pantropical) is a prostrate, scrambling or twining perennial herb on
beaches, sand dunes and thickets, and sometimes on limestone.
Barringtonia asiatica (Barrington.) is one of the most characteristic and largest beach trees
and can be associated with mangrove and limestone. Its trunks often lie out over the beach.
Lumnitzera littorea (Combret.) in Fiji is a mangrove tree 3-9 m tall, often compact or
spreading, or a shrub 2 m tall. Tomlinson (1986) noted its tendency to develop a diffuse,
sprawling habit, with the lower branches frequently taking root.
Pemphis acidula (Lythr.; East Africa to eastern Polynesia) is a gnarled or compact shrub or
tree and has been described as ‘somewhat intermediate between a strand plant and a mangrove’
(Tomlinson 1986). It is most characteristic of coastal thickets and limestone cliffs. In New
Guinea (e.g. Madang, pers. obs.) plants form plagiotropic mats 20-30 cm high and a metre
across hugging eroded limestone in the spray zone. The habit of these plants closely resembles
that of alpine shrubs.
Maytenus vitiensis (Celastr.; Fiji to eastern Polynesia) is a scandent shrub or small tree, of
beach thickets, dense, dry or secondary forest, often on limestone and sea cliffs.
Salacia pachycarpa (Hippocrat.; Fiji and Tonga) is a liane, often high-climbing in dense
forest, sometimes on limestone.
Colubrina asiatica (Rhamn.; East Africa to eastern Polynesia) is a scrambling or scandent
shrub or small tree in beach thickets and dry forest, sometimes on limestone.
Rhamnella vitiensis (Rhamn.; New Guinea to Tonga) is a gnarled tree, scandent shrub or
liane. It occurs near sea level on rocky shores and cliffs, including limestone, up to 550 m.
Smythea lanceata (Rhamn.; Seychelles – Fiji) is a liane or sprawling scandent shrub. It
occurs near sea-level only, along beaches, at the edge of tidal marshes, along streams behind
mangrove swamps, and in river bank thickets.
Hiptage myrtifolia (Malpigh.; Fiji endemic) is a shrub or small tree, usually with scandent
braches, or a high-climbing liane of dense, dry or secondary forest, sometimes on limestone.
Ximenia americana (Olac.; pantropical) is a tree, sometimes spreading and often gnarled, of
coastal habitats, sometimes on the edge of mangrove and on limestone. It has both
brachyblasts, and long shoots determinate by abortion (pers. obs. in New Ireland) and thus the
architecture is ‘divaricate’ (Heads 1998 – it is one of the very few divaricate plants in Fiji or
Papua New Guinea).
Geniostoma calcicola (Logan.; S Lau: Fulaga). is a scandent shrub known only from
limestone cliffs near sea level. Other Fijian species of Geniostoma are erect plants ranging up
to 1240 m altitude.
Melodinus glaber (Apocyn.; Fiji and Vanuatu) is a high-climbing liane, sometimes growing
with mangroves.
29