36 
Grass Island (Figure VIIl) 
Only a portion of the western end of the island is vegetated. The 
interior of this vegetated portion is a dense patch of Solanum nelson! about 
400 feet long east to west, and 100 feet wide. It grows to a height of a foot. 
Between the Solanum and the sandy beach is a sparsely vegetated area of Lepturus 
repepns, Tribulus cistoides, Boerhavia diffusa , and £>• nelsoni . About a dozen 
clumps of Eragrostis variabilis grow among the Solanum . 
In April 1923 a photograph by Dr. Wetmore shows that the island was 
THo>e- ~ WC_ 
virtually solid S. variabilis . He (Wetmore^ oj>. cit *) noted that the crest 
of* the island was covered with bunch grass with a Tew of* the snruDs recorded 
on Southeast Island". Eight species were recorded from the island (Christophersen 
and Caum, 0£. cit). The flora was dominated by E. variabilis, which was 
restricted to the central parts of the island. Lepturus grew in a fringe 
around the variabilis . Two plants of Achyranthes splendens were found. Boer¬ 
havia and Tribulus were present, but not abundant, and Lepidlum o-waihiense 
was rare. A few small Scaevola taccada bushes were present. Solanum laysanense 
[= nelsoni j was present though not abundant. 
By the time Grass was revisited in 1963 the interior had become a dense 
mat of Solanum nelsoni . Lepturus formed a thick cover on the west end of the 
vegetated area, Lepidium was found along the southern side of the island, and 
Solanum nign™ was common. Twenty to thirty clumps of Eragrostis were found, 
and Boerhavia and Tribulus were widespread. Scattered clumps of Setaria 
verticellata were noted. There were no longer any plants of Scaevola or 
Achyranthes . In 1965 the Setaria was not found, and the number of Eragrostis 
clumps had been reduced to l4. 
\ 
The change in vegetation^ from grasses to herbaceous vines^ is thus well- 
documented for Grass Island also. The vegetation change has brought about a 
