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orientalis, Mucuna gigantea, Aleiirites iiiohiccana, Triunifetta pro- 

 cumhens. Hibiscus tiliaceiis, Thespesia popiilnea, Calophyllum 

 inophyllitm, Pemphis acidula, Barringtonia asiatica, Terminalia 

 Catappa, Planchonella Grayana, Ochrosia parviflora, Cordia siib- 

 cordata, Heliotropium anoinalum, Premna taitensis, Hedyotis 

 joetida, Gardenia taitensis, Guettarda speciosa, and Timonius poly- 

 gamus. Pandanus trees occur everywhere, the leaves of which are 

 much used by the natives for the weaving of large numbers of bas- 

 kets and other articles. 



The government officials who have been stationed on the 

 island during the past forty years, together with the missionaries, 

 have been active in introducing ornamentals and plants of economic 

 worth. The natives themselves have also been responsible for the in- 

 troduction of a considerable number of species especially those of 

 more ancient introduction such as the coconut, banana, breadfruit, 

 yam, papaya, etc. In all of the villages are large numbers of those 

 ornamentals commonly found through the tropics including species 

 of: Crinum, Hymenocallis, Hedychium, Antigonon, Bougainvillea, 

 Bauhinia, Clitoria, Acalypha, Euphorbia, Codiaemn, Hibiscus, 

 Polyscias, Plumbago, Jasminuin, Allemanda, Plumeria, Nerium, 

 Cestrum, Thimbergia, etc. Salvia coccinea has become a common 

 weed about villages and along roadsides. In January it produces 

 a line show with a blaze of red and pink flowers. Appropriately, it is 

 known locally as Bon Fire. Recently the Cassia shower trees have 

 been introduced and give promise of becoming an important dec- 

 orative addition. Occasional Norfolk Island pines and introduced 

 palms add to the landscape. The flame tree, Delonix regia, likewise 

 grows well and recently planted trees are flourishing and will soon 

 make a fine show of color during their blossoming season. 



The writer was on the island for a number of weeks early in 

 1940 and attempted to secure as complete a collection of the plants 

 occurring there as possible. To that end I had the very hearty co- 

 operation of Captain William Bell, resident commissioner, and Mr. 

 Joseph McMahon-Box, then Secretary-Treasurer of the island 

 government, as well as a number of the natives. Good roads and 

 trails lead to all parts of the island so that nearly all regions were 

 readily accessible. In order to secure as many of the species as pos- 

 sible, particularly those which might be rare or obscure, the com- 

 missioner asked the native officials and older men of each village 



