r 34 
North Island (Figure VI) 
The center of' the body of the island is dominated by a lush growth of 
Sicyos hispidus . Some Boerhavia diffusa and Tribulus cistoides also grows in 
this area. At the northern perimeter of the body is a nearly solid growth of 
Solanum nelsoni . East of this growth is an area of mixed Tribulus , Boerhavia , 
and S. nelsoni . At the northeast corner of the island is a nearly pure stand 
of Eragrostis variabilis about 100 by 200 feet. The remainder of the vegetated 
area is a sparse mixture of Lepidium o-waihiense , £>. nelsoni , Sicyos , Tribulus, 
and Boerhavia , except for a nearly pure stand of Lepidium along the western 
side. Plant density decreases from the interior to the beaches, and Lepidium 
is the last species to be found in the coral rubble closest to the beaches and 
extending part way south on the tail. Several stunted and nearly dead Tourne - 
fortia argentea bushes were found along the southwestern edge of the body in 
March 1965 • 
In March 1913 Willett (Bailey, op. cit .) stated that the island was "topped 
with a scanty growth of tough grasses". Christophersen and Caum (op. cit .) 
report that the Tanager Expedition collected ,Achyranthes splendens , Capparis 
sandwichiana [= spinosa], and Tribulus. on North Island in 1925* Eo plant species 
can be identified in the single photograph of North Island by Galtsoff in 193^» 
As the island has only one patch of grass at present [19&5 L with several 
species of vines dominating the flora, it appears that this island has under- 
/ • 
gone the same type of successional changes as recorded for Southeast and Grass 
islands. ’ 
