The flora of the Pitcairn Islands: a review |
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Authors: | J FLORENCE S WALDREN AJ CHEPSTOW-LUSTY |
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Institution: | Centre ORSTOM de Tahiti, BP 529, Papeete, Tahiti, Polynésie Française;Trinity College Botanic Garden, Palmerston Park, Dartry, Dublin 6, Ireland;Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA |
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Abstract: | vascular plant flora of the Pitcairn Islands, south-central Pacific Ocean, is described based on extensive new collections made in 1991 and previously published records. Two vascular plants occur on Ducie Atoll; one (Pemphis acidula) is a new record. Sixty-three native vascular plants occur on Henderson, of which nine are endemic; Canavalia rosea, Operculina lurpethum, Psilotum nudum and Solanum americanum are new records for the island. Oeno Atoll has 16 native vascular plants; the single endemic (Bidens hendersonensis var. oenoensis) was not found in 1991 despite careful searches. Triumfetta procumbens was new for Oeno. Sixty-six native vascular plants have now been recorded from Pitcairn Island, there are two endemic ferns and seven endemic angiosperms in this number. A number of non-native taxa were new to Pitcairn. Some of the previously described taxa could not be found on Pitcairn, probably because they are very rare and only a small amount of time was spent collecting on Pitcairn. Many of the Pitcairn taxa are threatened by the spread of introduced species, especially Syzygium jambos. |
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Keywords: | Pitcairn Henderson Oeno Ducie flora island biogeography South Pacific South East Polynesia |
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