New Plant Records from the Eastern Caroline Islands, with a 
Comparative Study of the Native Plant Names^ 
S. F. Glassman2 
From a botanical standpoint, the Eastern 
Caroline Islands (Fig. 1) are poorly known. 
The floras of the high islands of this group 
— Ponape, Kusaie, and Truk—have been stud- 
ied to a reasonable degree. However, the low 
coral islands, about 22 in number, have re- 
ceived little botanical attention. Only five of 
these low islands-— Pingelap, Kapingamaran- 
gi, Satawan, Nomwin, and Nukuoro — have 
been reported on in any detail. For the re- 
maining islands, there are either only a few 
scanty records of plant collections or no 
known records at all. 
During the summer of 1949, the writer 
spent 3 months collecting plants on several 
islands in the Eastern Carolines. Most of the 
time was devoted to Ponape, the flora of 
which I have treated in two previous papers 
(Glassman, 1952; in press). Approximately 1 
day was spent on each of the following low 
islands or atolls: Mokil, July 21; Pingelap, 
July 22; and Ant, August 10. This study is 
based principally on these three islands. Most 
of the records listed here are new, as previous 
plant collections from these islands have been 
so sparse. This paper, therefore, is a list of 
new records of species with their accompany- 
ing native names, new records of native names, 
and changes in nomenclature of species pre- 
viously collected from Mokil, Pingelap, and 
Ant. 
^ The writer is grateful to the Pacific Science Board 
of the National Research Council for the fellowship 
grant which enabled him to make this trip; to the 
Office of Naval Research for financing the trip; to the 
University of Oklahoma for supplementary financial 
assistance; and to the specialists mentioned below for 
determination of specimens. 
" Division of Biological Sciences, University of Illi- 
nois, Chicago, Illinois. Manuscript received April 14, 
1952. 
Specimens of vascular plants collected were 
deposited in the United States National Her- 
barium, Bernice P. Bishop Museum, and 
Bebb Herbarium, University of Oklahoma. 
Nonvascular plants have been placed in the 
Crypto gamic Herbarium of the Chicago Nat- 
ural History Museum. 
’.Pulusuk. 
10^ N- 
J^amonuito 
JMurili} 
East- J^a^u 
E^iVfta 
'■Cosap 
EMatncliJi . ^ ^ 
Etal 
■ Satax 
•Kl 
. OrohlH 
JPafy n . ponape 
.fiingekp 
'Kusmc 
I Mcrthc^ 
Jlupuoyo 
JVAUTICAI MILES 
too 0 ,oo 
■ . KqpiMgaxxiavaM^i 
Fig. 1. Map of Eastern Caroline Islands. 
Each island is treated separately with a brief 
geographical and historical description fol- 
lowed by a catalogue of species for that island. 
Each entry in the catalogue of species is based 
on specimens collected or observed by the 
writer or on names of species published in 
taxonomic articles. Synonyms which pertain 
to each particular island are also listed. Speci- 
mens cited have been either verified person- 
ally or determined by specialists in certain 
groups as follows: Dr. H. N. Moldenke, New 
York Botanical Garden, Verbenaceae; Dr. W. 
H. Wagner, Jr., University of Michigan, ferns; 
Dr. E. Drouet, Chicago Natural History Mu- 
seum, algae; Mr. E. B. Bartram, Bushkill, 
Pennsylvania, mosses; and Dr. M. Eulford, 
University of Cincinnati, liverworts. Native 
291 
