Vegetation History 
The early accounts of the vegetation of Christmas Island are meager. 
Apparently the Cocos w ere present on the island at the time of discovery 
in 1777. (Cookj 1784). A few cocoa-nut trees were seen in two or three 
places; but, in general, the land had a very barren appearance. "Cook 
investigated the lagoon and landed on what may have been the present day 
Motu Upua: "We walked, or rather waded, through the water, to an island; 
where finding nothing but a few birds, -- I left it, and proceeded to the 
land that bounds the sea to the North-West, --. I found this land to be 
even more barren than the island I had been upon; In commenting on 
two lost seamen Cook remarks on the southeast portion; "--nor was there 
any thing to obstruct their view; for the country was a flat, with a few 
shrubs scattered upon it; Cook also mentions planting melon seeds, 
yams and coconuts on Cook Island. Further mention is made of a few 
coconut trees "the number of which did not exceed thirty", other trees 
(possibly Tournefortia or Sceavola ), Sida , "a sort of purslane" (probably 
Portulaca lutea ), "a"~mesembryanthemum" (undoubtedly Sesuvium ) and two 
species of grasses ( Lepturus and Eragrostis ?). 
Since evidence of Polynesian visits and possibly short term 
habitation of the island has been gathered (Emory, 193^-) it is possible 
to assume that even the earliest Cocos groves were planted by man. The 
island was visited by Bennett ( 18 ^ 0 ) who gives the following: "The 
land is extremely low, and composed of sand with only a few bushes and 
small trees." -On the western parts there are some scattering groups of 
cocoanut trees; the whole number of trees may be about 2,000. -On the west 
point, or rather on the point which forms the southern entrance to the 
lagoon, there is a group of these trees having the names of several 
whale ships carved upon them. -I wish to state, that during my dentention, 
I had cocoanuts brought up from the west and planted on the south side, 
due south of the spot where we were wrecked." He goes on to say that 
these had sprouted and were on the east side and hoped that they would 
be a warning to ships making the SE end of the island. 
The extension of the Cocos groves proceeded under the direction 
of Fr. Emmanuel Rougier whose account gives the first modern 
account of both the Cocos operations and the native vegetation: Due 
to the accuracy of the account we reproduce it here: 
"The flora of Christmas Island is very poor owing to its position. 
Only the long floating seeds could obtain a footing or chance to 
grow on the Island and they had to be sand plants. Probably centuries 
passed before any seed was washed on shore, except a few grass 
seeds that might have been imported by birds, not as food (all birds/ 
living there on fish), but in their feathers. This accounts for the 
long and high hills all around the Islands, fully 20 to 30 feet 
higher than Fanning. Today the grass and shrub have taken possession 
of the soil and hills have ceased to increase or to move about. 
The grasses are: 1° A hgih tough grass, also found on Fanning, and 
no good for cattle or sheep (probably Digitaria ); 2° Paragrass, tender 
and green, most precious grass for cattle (Lepturus); it grows on 
sand hills where the sand is coarse, especially the east end of 
Christmas. Both creep on the soil. Another grass is called by me 
Honey Grass, as the flower smells of honey, a very fragrant odor; 
