The Vegetation 
A ^L 
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A summary of the vegetation of Lisianski Island appeared 3^ years ago 
(Christophersen and Caum, 1931). This account described the vegetation of 
the island as observed in 1923-24- during the Tanager Expeditions. In 1923- 
1924 four species of plants were collected: Eragrostis , Sesuvium , ham and 
Portulaca . Three of the species collected by the Tanager Expedition are 
still found: Eragrostis , Nama and Portulaca . Of the 13 species collected 
and/or recorded for the island hicotiana and Sesuvium are no longer found 
and seven species collected and/or recorded in 1963-64 were new records for 
the flora of the island. 
The earlier reports of Lisianski (1814), Walker (I909) and Palmer (1927) 
are summarized in Christophersen and Caum (1931). These indicate a well 
Vegetated island which was later laid bare by the introduction of rabbits 
in the first decade of the twentieth century. A later work (Bryan, 1942) 
summarizes the observations of other early visitors as follows: Paty (I857) 
1 ‘coarse grass , u Brooks (1936) "shrubs" and cites Elschner (1915) that some 
guano was shipped from the island. In the Christopher sen and Caum report 
the vegetation is described as follows: "- exceedingly poor, one patch of 
grass at the north end and a few other plants sparsely distributed being 
all that was found. " Pour photographs have been found in the library of 
the B. P. Bishop Museum (Numbers 10077; 10079; 10081 and 10084) which show 
clumps of Eragrostis , nests of Great Frigatebirds built of sticks on the 
soil surface, a barren panorama With no vegetation and a strand site with 
Boerhavia and perching noddies. 
In 1964 the vegetation was thick and composed of the following major 
associations: Scaevola - Eragrostis with Ipomoea , Sicyos , Boerhavia and 
Tribulus ; Eragrostis - Boerhavia ; and Nama . These associations form 
concentric bands of vegetation: the Narna on the sandy periphery but absent 
on the west side due to a shift in the substrate materials; the Scaevola 
over most of the elevated portions of the island; and, the Eragrostis in 
the low central area. 
The vegetation of Lisianski Island has evidenced a cyclic pattern 
of complete devastation and recovery in three score years. The thick 
vegetation noted in 1964 infers that the factors influencing distribution 
and/or recovery of plant species on oceanic islands,especially low sand 
atolls or islets, are most efficient. The sequence of species introduction 
and association development recorded, for Lisianski Island confirms previous 
speculation on pioneer species and rapidity with which vegetation can 
recover from denudation. In cases where storms are responsible for 
elimination of the vegetation we might expect the recovery to take longer 
due to the concomitant movement of substrates. 
