THE RARE PLANTS OF NIUE by Art Whistler Isle Botanica Honolulu, Hawai‘i Funded by Conservation International and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund 2013 1 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………. 1 1.1. The Vegetation of Niue ………………………………………. 1 1.2. The Flora of Niue …………………………….......................... 2 1.3. Botanical Collections from Niue …………………………….. 3 1.4. Reasons for Rarity ……………………………………………. 4 2. METHODOLOGY ………………………………………………… 5 3. RESULTS ………………….………………………………………. 8 3.1. Polynesian introductions …..........…………………………….. 8 3.1.1. Polynesian Weeds. .......................................................... 9 3.1.2. Polynesian cultigens ........................................................ 10 3.2. Indigenous Species .................................................................... 11 3.2.1. Littoral Species ……....................………………............ 11 3.2.2. Inland Species ……………………......................…….... 13 3.2.3. Orchid Species …………………………......................... 14 3.2.4. Fern and Fern-ally Species .............................................. 15 4. DISCUSSION…………………………….………………………....16 4.1. Niue Plants Needing Protection ................................................. 18 4.1.1. Indigenous Species Recommended for Red-Listing ........18 4.1.2. Polynesian Weeds and Cultigens of Concern …….......... 19 5. RECOMMENDATIONS…………………………………………... 21 6. SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………………. 23 7. APPENDIX 1. CHECKLIST OF RARE PLANTS OF NIUE …...... 24 8. APPENDIX 2. RARE NIUEAN PLANT PROFILES .......................26 9. APPENDIX 3. LIST OF PARTICIPANTS ....................................... 84 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author would like to thank all the people and organizations that have contributed to thepreparation of this report. He is greatly indebted to Conservation International (CI) and theCritical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) that kindly provided funding for this work. Hewould like to give special thanks to Director of the Environment Sauni Tongatule and his officestaff for their great effort in arranging and running the weeklong workshop in Niue, and thefifteen attendees who faithfully attended the workshop over the five day period. Special thanks isalso given to environmental officer Logo Seumanu for his invaluable help in organizing theworkshop and afternoon field trips. The author would also like to thank his colleague Dr.Michael Thomas, who helped coordinate the workshop, set up the website upon which this reportwill be uploaded, and proofread of the manuscript. Special thanks is also due to the author’scolleagues Bill Sykes and Rhys Gardner, both of whom have done floras of Niue, for their help inpreparing and proofreading the manuscript. The help from the staff of the Allan Herbarium inLincoln, New Zealand, in relaying information about Niue specimens is also greatly appreciated. 2 1. INTRODUCTION Niue lies in the South Pacific Ocean at latitude 19S and longitude 169W, between Samoato the west and the Cook Islands to the east. The oval-shaped island, with an area of 260 km2and a maximum elevation of 69 m, was formed in recent geological times by the emergence andelevation of a coral atoll that sits atop a long-dormant undersea volcano. The outer portion orcoastal zone of the island comprises several terraces formed during periods when the islandpaused during its emergence from the sea. This series of terraces is quite weathered in someareas and is marked by deep crevices and rugged pinnacles. The central basin, which makes upthe bulk of the island, represents the former lagoon of the atoll. The surface of the basin is nothomogeneous since it varies in soil and rockiness. Areas with pockets of soil are favored by treesfor the growth of dense lowland forests, but also by human inhabitants for the cultivation of food. The climate in Niue is wet and tropical. The mean annual temperature is 25 C, the meandiurnal range is 8 C, and the mean maximum temperature ranges from 21 to 27C. Rainfall isrelatively heavy with a mean annual total of 204 cm. The months from June to September are thedriest, but even these months average at least 10 cm per month. Humidity is nearly always high,averaging 89% at 9 a.m. (Wright and van Westerndorp 1965). Droughts occasionally occur, andcyclones periodically hit the island during the summer months (mostly November to April). Thehigh rainfall and warm temperatures partly make up for the relatively poor soil conditions andallow the island (the central basin at least) to support a tropical rainforest.1.1. The Vegetation of Niue Brief accounts of the vegetation were given by Frost and Berryman (1966), a timber surveyby the Niue Forestry Section (1990), and Sykes (1970). Another brief account of the vegetationwas given by Yuncker (1943). Frost and Berryman divided the forest into three categories,“coastal forest,” “light and scattered forest,” and “merchantable forest,” but did not discuss non-forest vegetation. The Forestry Section report also did not deal with overall vegetation, butreiterated the three forest types of Frost and Berryman and added a fourth vegetation category,“open areas.” Sykes gave a more detailed account of the vegetation and noted that the island wasoriginally covered with a rainforest of tall trees that formed a relatively dense canopy, belowwhich was a relatively poorly developed shrub and herbaceous layer. However, because of thelong period of human habitation and the modifications made during shifting agriculture, and, inmore recent times by a timber industry, most of the mature forest has now been removed andreplaced by secondary forest. Sykes noted that the best remaining forest is in the central, east,and southeastern portions of the island, and that a low-stature “coastal forest” that merges intoinland forest covers the outer portion of the island. Much of the remaining tall stature inland forest is actually secondary forest in various stagesof development. This secondary forest, according to Sykes, is generally richer in species numberthan is mature forest. In addition to the forest types, Sykes also recognized “scrub” areas that arean extreme result of man’s activity. This vegetation referred to by Yuncker (1943) as “thickets”and by Wright and van Westerndorp as “desert” is typically dominated by the fern Nephrolepishirsutula (mohuku). Sykes also noted the absence of a sharp distinction between mature andsecondary forest, and between secondary forest and scrub. 1 Whistler and Atherton (1997) provided a more extensive description of the vegetation intheir study of the Huvalu Conservation Area. They first divided the vegetation of the island intotwo categories: Managed Land Vegetation and Natural Vegetation. Managed Land Vegetation isin a continual state of disturbance from the activities of man, i.e., it is being used continuously,and two categories were recognized—Cropland and Fernland. The Natural Vegetation categoryincludes all vegetation that is not currently (in the long term) being used by man, or at least hasnot been disturbed for many years. The native vegetation on the shore is herbaceous andshrubby, comprising Littoral Shrubland. Four plant communities were recognized inland fromthe shore: littoral forest, coastal forest, mature forest (=primary forest); and secondary forest.1.2. The Flora of Niue The “flora” of an area is usually thought of as a list (or book) that includes all the plantsoccurring in that area. This list can include all flowering plants, all vascular plants (floweringplants, gymnosperms, and ferns), or all plants (including algae, lichens, etc.). Together theflowering plants, gymnosperms, and ferns are referred to as “higher plants,” a category knownscientifically as Tracheophyta. The higher plants are divided into two main groups (called“divisions,” which together comprise the “plant kingdom”)—ferns, which are placed in thePteridophyta (individually called pteridophytes), and seed plants, which are placed in theSpermatophyta (individually called spermatophytes). Between the ferns and seed plants, buttypically included in the pteridophytes, is a heterogeneous assemblage of plants called “fernallies,” which in Niue comprises only the genera Lycopodium (one species) and Psilotum (onespecies). Fern allies are usually studied separately from the seed plants by botanists whospecialize in ferns. The seed plants are divided into two groups: Gymnospermae (calledgymnosperms, or sometimes, conifers), and Angiospermae (flowering plants), but no nativegymnosperms are found in Niue. The angiosperms are divided into two groups: monocots and dicots. These two groups (aswell as other plants) are further divided into groups called “orders,” and orders are divided into“families,” which range in size from a single species to thousands of species. Orders are notcommonly used by botanists, but families are. All family names can be identified by the ending“-ceae.” For example, the orchid family, the largest one on Niue, is called the Orchidaceae, andthe largest native dicot family, the coffee family, is called Rubiaceae. In the past, there wereeight exceptions to the -ceae ending, but these eight are now given different names with thestandard ending: the carrot family Umbelliferae (now called Apiaceae); the sunflower familyCompositae (Asteraceae); the mustard family Cruciferae (Brassicaceae); the mangosteen familyGuttiferae (Clusiaceae); the pea family Leguminosae (Fabaceae); the mint family Labiatae(Lamiaceae); the palm family Palmae (Arecaceae); and the grass family Gramineae (Poaceae).All of these except the palm and carrot families include rare Niuean plants. Plant species can be classified by their distribution: they are either native, i.e., they occurnaturally in the area (arriving by non-human transport), or they are alien, i.e., they are introducedspecies (having arrived by direct or indirect human transport). Alien species can be furtherdivided into species introduced by the Polynesians (i.e., they were brought in prior to ca. 1774,and are called Polynesian introductions) and those introduced in modern times (i.e., after ca.1774, and are called modern introductions) by Europeans or by Polynesians traveling by meansof western transport (boats, and nowadays, planes). Alien plants can also be divided another way 2 into intentional introductions (plants brought intentionally, usually useful plants) andunintentional introductions (plants accidentally arriving on Niue, typically weeds). Native plants can be divided into two categories, endemic and indigenous. Endemic meansrestricted to one area; plants endemic to Niue are found only on Niue. Indigenous, in its currentusage, refers to native species with a wider distribution (i.e., those naturally found on Niue aswell as elsewhere). These terms are relative, because their meaning depends upon how the“area” is defined. For example, a plant occurring in Samoa and Niue can be referred to asendemic to western Polynesia, but it would be indigenous to these two areas when they aretreated individually. However, in practical usage endemism is usually applied to countries,archipelagoes, or islands. It is a moot point, however, since there are no endemic plant specieson Niue. Floristically, Niue is part of the “Fijian Region” that extends from the Santa Cruz Islandsand Vanuatu to Niue (Takhtajan 1969). Lying in the eastern portion of this region, Niue and thewestern Polynesian islands collectively have a much smaller native flora than the Melanesianislands to the west, which lie closer to the Indo-Malaysian source area. The flora of Niue is verysimilar to that of the adjacent islands and archipelagos, particularly Samoa and Tonga, but ismuch smaller. It comprises approximately 159 native flowering plant species (125 dicots and 34monocots), in addition to 25 ferns and 2 fern allies, for a total of 186 vascular plant species. Asnoted above, no species are endemic to Niue. Niue’s flora is much smaller than that of adjacentSamoa, which has about 550 native species of flowering plants and an endemism rate of 30%(Whistler 2010), and Tonga, which has about 340 native species and an endemism rate of about 3% (Whistler 2011). The reasons for the relatively small flora and low endemism rate are several:(1) Samoa and Tonga are much larger archipelagoes; (2) they have a much higher elevation; (3)they are closer to the source of the western Polynesia flora (Melanesia and Indo-Malaysia); and(4) they are older, especially since Niue was an atoll until a few thousand years ago.1.3. Botanical Collections from Niue The collection of the flora of Niue began in 1774 with the visit of Captain James Cook.However, only about eight specimens were obtained that day, and these are stored at the BritishMuseum. Another collection was made in 1876 by amateur botanist F. Jensen, but thesecollections , which are also stored at the British Museum, were only noted in recent times (St.John 1976) and it is likely that many of the specimens attributed to Niue were actually collectedelsewhere (Whistler 1984). The next significant Niue collection was made in about 1899 by H.F. Moore, but these specimens, numbering about 28 and stored at the U.S. National Herbarium(Smithsonian), have apparently not been studied (Gardner 2011). Another set of about 100specimens was collected by S. P. Smith in 1901, and is stored at the Auckland War MemorialMuseum Herbarium. It was not until 1940 that the first comprehensive collection of the flora of Niue was made.On the basis of his specimens (which are mostly stored at the Bishop Museum Herbarium inHonolulu), T. G. Yuncker published The Flora of Niue Island in 1943. Another larger collectionwas made by W. R. Sykes in 1965, and is the basis for his Contributions to the Flora of Niue(1970). Sykes did further collecting on Niue in 1975, but these specimens have not beendocumented in the literature. His specimens are stored at the Allan Herbarium in Lincoln, NewZealand, with many duplicates at the Bishop Museum. Sykes estimated the size of the native 3 vascular plant flora (flowering plants, ferns, and fern allies) at 175 species, which is close to thefigure used here. Sykes publication also included adventive (weedy) species. Both Sykes andYuncker listed ornamentals, but these are not of concern for the present study. Whistler made a collection of about 225 specimens on Niue during five trips to the islandfrom 1981 to 2013. These are part of his personal collection stored at the University of Hawai‘iJoseph Rock Herbarium, but have not been documented in the literature. Rhys Gardner collectedabout 100 specimens on Niue, and his collections are stored at the Auckland War MemorialMuseum Herbarium. Based upon his collections and those of the earlier collectors, Gardnerpublished a book on the trees and shrubs of Niue (2011). A follow-up book on the herbaceousspecies is expected to be published soon. The orchids of Niue were discussed in a publication byCribb and Whistler (2012), based upon specimens of all the above named collectors.1.4. Reasons for Rarity There are a number of reasons why plants are rare in Niue, some of them due to the activitiesof man, some to chance, and some to natural causes. These reasons can be put into severalcategories: (1) competition, especially from introduced invasive species; (2) loss of habitat; (3)herbivory; (4) abandonment of cultigens; and (5) natural rarity. Plants that have died off overtheir entire range are referred to as extinct. Species that have died off in only part of their rangeare referred to as extirpated from those places. Competition is perhaps the most important cause of rarity of Niuean plant species. Niueannative plants developed together in the island environment for thousands years, and each of themdeveloped traits that allowed them to survive with the other species in the little-changing habitat.However, the first Polynesian settlers arriving in Niue brought with them alien plant species thatchanged the vegetation dynamics. Some of these species were cultigens that do not reproducenaturally by themselves, but some were adventive species that produce seeds and naturally spreadinto the native habitats. Even more serious was the changes wrought by the more numerous andaggressive alien weedy species brought to Niue after the arrival of Europeans beginning in the1800s. Before the discovery and habitation of Niue, some native species were dependent uponnatural forest clearings and open sunny conditions for their seedlings to grow and develop. Butthe arrival of so many new weedy species (nearly 200 of them so far) has caused these clearingsto now be rapidly covered with a smothering growth of alien weeds that can block out thesunlight needed by the native species. This kind of competition may have led to the extirpationfrom Niue of the Polynesian-introduced herb Adenostemma viscosa. It is also probably the majorcause of extirpation of many Polynesian weeds that were unable to compete with the more recentarrivals in Niue (see Table 1 for rare Polynesian weeds). Loss of habitat after the arrival of the first Polynesian settlers centuries ago is probably thesecond most serious cause of native plants becoming rare in Niue. After the original settlement,the population expanded and started utilizing the environment, especially the inland forest thatcovered nearly the entire island. Forests were cut down for housing sites and plantations Speciesalready uncommon in the inland forest, and restricted to there, were soon threatened, and a fewof them may have already been extirpated, especially during the European era when timbercutting and forest clearing equipment made these previously hard activities easy. Herbivory has been a major problem for native plant species ever since the introduction ofalien mammals by the Polynesians. Prior to the arrival of the first settlers, there were no native 4 terrestrial mammals present in Polynesia other than bats. Niue has one apparently native fruit batthat is more helpful to native plants than it is harmful, since fruit bats are major seed dispersers.Polynesians brought three mammals with them—the Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans), the dog,and the pig. The Polynesian rat’s influence on the native flora of Polynesia is only now beingunderstood. They are major seed consumers, particularly of palms, and are now thought to havelead to the extinction, extirpation, and drastic population reduction of palms in such widelydispersed place as Easter Island, Hawai‘i, and Fiji. At the present time, however, there are nocertain rat seed predation effects on any native Niuean plants. Rats are especially hard on nativepalms, but other than coconuts, Niue probably had no native palms. Because of their rooting habits and taste for some native species, pigs have had seriouseffects in many places in Polynesia. However, severe pig damage by herbivory may be less of aproblem on Niue than on the higher islands of western Polynesia, where pigs are known toinhabit the highest elevations. Dogs and cats have little effect on the native flora, since they arecarnivores. Deer, goats, cattle, horses, and sheep have caused extensive damage in some parts ofPolynesia, but these either have not been introduced to Niue or are of only minor significancethere. Goats and cattle have historically been responsible for the widespread destruction nativeterrestrial plants in the Pacific islands, especially the herbaceous species. The abandonment of cultigens is probably the major reason for the extirpation or nearextirpation of some ancient Polynesian cultivated plants from Niue. The ancient Polynesianscarried throughout Polynesia the plants that were useful to them, and maintained these plants bycultivation. However, in the European era many new and better species were introduced, whichled to some of the “canoe plants” no longer being grown. A good example of this is thePolynesian tomato loku moka (Solanum ferox), which in ancient times was cultivated for itstomato-like fruits. However, with the introduction of the more prolific and tastier tomatoes,Niuean apparently lost interest in cultivating their canoe traditional tomato, which led to itsincreasing rarity on the island. It has been extirpated throughout most of its Polynesian range andis in danger of extinction. Some species are probably naturally rare on Niue, for a variety of reasons. The mostcommon one is probably the chance recent arrival of species that have not had enough time tospread. A good example of this might be Gymnosporia vitiensis (no Niuean name) that iscurrently known from a single coastal site. Plants like this may be considered to be “vagrants”that reached Niue by accident, but stayed rare because of limited suitable habitat, insufficienttime since arrival, or other reasons.2. METHODOLOGY The first task in the present rare plant study was to go through the author’s flora data andprepare a preliminary checklist of species that might be included in this report. His flora data isbased primarily upon collection information (specimens collected on Niue) and his personalexperience with the flora during his previous four visits to the island. The collection informationwas divided into old collections (those gathered before 1976) and modern collections (thosegathered after that year). The reason these two divisions are utilized is because numerous oldcollections followed by fewer recent collections may indicate that the plant is disappearing fromNiue. 5 Some degree of fixed criteria is desirable in determining if a species should be considered tobe rare on Niue. The most tangible or numerical of these criteria is the number of times a specieshas been collected on the island. The number of collections for each species can partly bedetermined by a literature search, especially Yuncker (1943), Sykes (1970), and Whistler andAtherton (1997). Another important method to find specimen records is to search herbariahousing Niuean collections, particularly for specimens that may not have been listed in theliterature. This includes the collections of the Cook South Pacific expeditions, Jensen, S.P.Smith, Yuncker, Sykes, Gardner, and Whistler, most of which are deposited mostly in NewZealand (Auckland War Memorial Museum and Allan Herbarium) and the U.S. (Bishop Museumand University of Hawai‘i). The following criteria, based on the recorded herbarium specimens and experience of theauthor, were used to compile the list of rare Niuean plants presented here. Inclusion on the listrequired the plant to be in at least one of the following four categories. 1. Infrequency of collections—This criterion includes species that have been collected only afew times. However, some in this category may actually be common species not collectedbecause of the difficulty of making them into specimens (e.g., coconut). These exceptions areusually excluded from consideration. 2. Infrequency of modern collections—This criterion includes species collected only once ortwice in the modern era (since 1976). The lack of recent specimens for species collected morefrequently by early botanists is a possible indicator that they are becoming rare and are in need ofprotection. 3. Restriction to threatened habitats—This criterion includes plants restricted mostly tohabitats that are under pressure from development and agriculture. Outside Niue the mostthreatened habitat often comprises wetlands, but wetlands are virtually non-existent on the island.On Niue the criterion most commonly applies to species restricted to inland primary forest, mostof which has been felled over the centuries of human occupation. 4. Restricted distribution on Niue—This criterion includes plants found only in one or atmost several localities on the island. Extensive disturbance in these relatively small areas canhave serious consequences on the rare plants found there. Species collected only once or just afew times in one place (criteria number 1 above) would be, by necessity, restricted indistribution. 5. Field experience of the author—The author has been working on Niue for the last 32 yearsand has collected about 75% of the native flowering plants known from the island (and has seenmany of the others). His experience helps qualify him to understand which of the species are rarerather than just under-collected, and was sometimes the final arbiter in borderline cases. Threatened or endangered plants are usually native species, most commonly endemic ones.However, two other types of species are included on this list of rare Niuean plants—rarePolynesian cultigens and rare Polynesian adventives. The Polynesian cultigens comprisetraditionally cultivated plant species that were brought by the ancient voyagers. These plantsoften are unable to produce and spread by themselves, and need care by humans (e.g., weeding,planting, etc.) in order to survive in places where they have been introduced. During the modernperiod, many new cultigens have been introduced, and many of these are so superior to the oldercultigens that cultivation of the latter group has diminished or ceased. Because of the absence of 6 the care needed by these species to survive, they have gradually disappeared. A good example ofthis is the Polynesian melon Cucumis melo (‘atiu). It was one of the few edible fruits cultivatedby Polynesians, but is inferior when compared to similar, more recently introduced fruits that aremore prolific and/or tastier, e.g., watermelon. Consequently, its cultivation apparently becameunimportant and the plant disappeared from Niue. This change of cultigens also occurs at thevarietal level when new, more prolific or better tasting varieties of traditional Polynesiancultigens have been introduced, and the less prolific or less tasty ones have been abandoned.These disappearing varieties are not addressed in the present paper, however, since they are onlyvarieties, not species. Rare Polynesian adventives (weeds) comprise plants unintentionally introduced to Niuebefore the European era, but which have become rare or have disappeared because ofcompetition from more recently introduced weeds. An example of this is Adenostemmaviscosum (no Niuean name known), a weed of ancient introduction to Niue. Prior to theEuropean era, it was probably a common weed of disturbed places, and was possibly usedmedicinally. It has apparently now entirely disappeared from Niue (last collected there in 1924),probably because of its inability to compete with the legions of weeds introduced in moderntimes (since the early 1800s). These ancient weeds are often not treated in the literature in thesame way as native species. They are ignored because they are widespread, but they may bedisappearing over their whole range, and thus slip under the radar. Plants belonging to these twocategories of non-native plants are included here because they have been a part of Niuean culturesince before the European era, and although perhaps not disappearing everywhere, they (thecultigens at least) are becoming lost to Niuean cultural practices. The conservation status of the 57 plant rare species included in this report is noted for eachspecies shown in Appendix 2, which comprises the species profiles. The categories conservationstatus categories are (1) Polynesian adventive, (2) Polynesian cultigen, and (3) indigenousspecies species. The most important of these is the latter category (since there are no endemicspecies on Niue), which comprises native species that are rare on Niue but occur elsewhere aswell. It comprises the bulk of the rare plants listed here. The other categories, Polynesiancultigen and Polynesian adventive, are of lesser importance since they comprise alien (non-native) species. Once the species were selected for the rare plant list, a species profile was prepared for each(see Appendix 2). This included the following information: (1) species name; (2) botanicalfamily to which the species belongs; (3) author(s) of the species name; (4) synonyms of thespecies name, and their authors; (5) Niuean name (if any); (6) English name (if any); (7) status(e.g., indigenous); (8) reason for listing as a rare plant; and (9) suggested action for protecting thespecies. This is followed by information about the range, habitat, geographic distribution,frequency, and any ethnobotanical uses. A botanical description written using the previousliterature, field descriptions from live collections made by the author, and descriptions based onbotanical collections stored in the Bishop Museum Herbarium and the University of Hawai‘iJoseph Rock Herbarium, is also included for each. Finally, the sites of collection of all knownspecimens of the rare plants are listed at the end of the profile. The sites of collection for the 57 rare plants are recorded on dozens of herbarium specimensand some visual records (the latter lack voucher specimens). The location data for many of theherbarium specimens is found in the publications of Yuncker (1943) and Sykes (1970).Specimens not cited in those publications can be found in various herbaria, particularly the 7 Bishop Museum Herbarium and the personal collections of the author at the University ofHawai‘i Joseph Rock Herbarium. The author has seen nearly all of the specimens of rare plantsat their respective herbaria in Auckland, Christchurch, and Honolulu. Following the preliminary herbarium and literature work, the author visited Niue from 11 to25 January 2013 and presented a five-day workshop arranged by the Department of Environment.In the mornings, PowerPoint presentations on the flora of Niue, the rare species, the vegetation,collecting methods, and other topics were presented. This was followed in the afternoons byfieldwork with about fifteen trainees recruited by the Department of Environment. Some of thesetrainees were in government, some were private individuals. During the field trips, a few of therare plants were encountered, such as Gymnosporia vitiensis and Nicotiana fragrans. The finalday of the workshop comprised a public lecture on rare plants of Niue that was attended by about30 people. The workshop itself took only one week, and the rest of the days were spent doing ageneral reconnaissance of the island, during which time a checklist of all native and adventivespecies found was compiled. Several specific sites where rare plants were previously collectedwere visited, but because of insufficient time, the list cannot by any means be considered acomplete survey of the rare plants of Niue. The final report is posted on the Internet site dedicated to the flora of Niue—www.floraofniue.org—to make it accessible to anyone. The site includes all the materialpresented in this report, including the photographs. It is interactive so that visitors can look upany species of interest to them. The final step, which is not a part of this project, can be done byGIS programmers, who can take the collection data and put it onto a map of Niue. The presentreport, in digital form, has been submitted to Conservation International, along with thePowerPoint presentations given during the workshop.3. RESULTS The plants that have been determined to be rare are arranged below into two groups:Polynesian Introductions; and Indigenous Species. The Polynesian Introductions category isfurther divided into Unintentional Polynesian Introductions (mostly weeds) and IntentionalIntroductions (Polynesian cultivated plants that have become rare in the European or post-contactera that began in 1773). The Indigenous Species category is further divided into four groups:littoral species, inland species, orchids, and ferns. 3.1. Polynesian Introductions Whether a species is native or alien is sometimes difficult to determine, and several factorshave to be considered: (1) method of dispersal (especially whether or not it produces seeds thatare able to disperse across the ocean); (2) known range outside of Niue; (3) whether or not thereis a natural habitat for it on Niue; and (4) and if the plant has disappeared in recent times. Aplant with no natural means of dispersing across the ocean to Niue is almost certainly an alienspecies. A good example of the use of the method of dispersal factor is the Tahitian chestnut (ifi,Inocarpus fagifer), which has large fruits that cannot be carried by wind or animals, and do notsurvive immersion in seawater for long. In the known range outside of Niue factor, a plant notfound on adjacent islands (e.g., Tonga and Samoa), but much farther away (e.g., Australia), ismost likely an alien species and then, usually of modern introduction. 8 The lack of a natural habitat factor is a particularly important one. Prior to the arrival ofPolynesians, most of Niue was covered with a dense tropical rainforest. Disturbed habitats inpre-Polynesian Niue were minimal and occurred mostly after drastic climatic events (e.g.,cyclones). Hence light-loving inland species had relatively little area to colonize, and most ofthose found in the disturbed habitats plentiful on Niue today are alien species that arrived aftertheir preferred habitat was created. Most of these species were accidentally introduced. Thedisappearance in recent times factor involves plants that are not able to compete with morerecently introduced weeds, and are eventually replaced by the newcomers. As noted above, the Polynesian introductions considered to be rare on Niue are divided intotwo groups for further discussion—weedy species that are mostly of unintentional introduction,and useful species that are mostly of intentional introduction. Because they are alien species,they would not normally be considered for “red-listing,” i.e., alien species are rarely consideredto be threatened or endangered. However, a case can be made for some of them being consideredfor Niue’s Red List because they may be threatened throughout their range. In the discussionthey are considered “plants of concern” so that botanists studying them in other islands can bemade aware that the adventives and cultigens may be disappearing in Niue if not everywhere. 3.1.1. Polynesian Weeds Rare Polynesian unintentional introductions comprise alien species that were accidentally orunintentionally introduced to Niue prior to the European era. Such plants are sometimes referredto as Polynesian weeds. Not all weeds are alien species because some are fairly certain to benative (e.g., the liana Merremia peltata is a weed of some Polynesian islands, but is almostcertainly native). Whether a plant is of ancient or modern introduction is not always clear, andlike distinguishing alien from native species, several factors have to be considered in determiningtime of introduction: (1) first date of collection; (2) known range outside Niue; and (3) whetheror not the plant has a local name. Weedy species, especially common ones, not collected by earlybotanists are most likely to be modern rather than Polynesian introductions. Virtually all weedyspecies originally native to tropical America are modern introductions. Weeds that werecommon in ancient Niue most likely had names because very few weedy species were presentthen, and they would have been much more noticeable and a topic of discussion (hence, theywould need a name). Twelve now-rare species thought to have been Polynesian introductions areshown in Table 1 below. They are arranged in alphabetical order by scientific name, and thenumber of times they have been collected by each of the collectors is shown. Their last date ofcollection is also shown (which is an indication of whether they are likely to have been extirpatedor not from Niue). One of the species included on the list is almost certainly extirpated from Niue, Adenostemaviscosa. It was collected on the island by Smith in 1901, and again by Cockerill in 1924, butnever again. It is also reported to be rare in American Samoa and Tonga, but not in independentSamoa, where it is common (but only in montane forest). The species still persists in easternPolynesia Society and Cook Islands, where it is probably uncommon and is used as a medicinalplant. Two of the other species listed below, Sida samoensis and Boerhavia acutifolia, aresomewhat problematical because they appear to be littoral species that occur only in disturbedcoastal habitats. See the individual species profiles in Appendix 2 for more detailed informationabout each species. 9 Table 1. Rare Polynesian Adventives Number of Collections.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Species Collectors1 J Sm Y Sy W Last Found---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Acalypha lanceolata 00110 1965Adenostemma viscosa2 01000 1924?Boerhavia acutifolia 00431 2013Brachiaria paspaloides 00021 1997Desmodium heterocarpon 00010 1965Fimbristylis ovata 00110 1965Laportea interrupta 10110 1975Leucas decemdentata 00140 1965Rorippa sarmentosa 00121 2013Sida samoensis 00130 1975Uraria lagopodioides 00220 1965Urena lobata 00120 1965---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 J=Jensen; Sm=Smith; Y=Yuncker; Sy=Sykes; and W=Whistler.2 This was also apparently collected by Cockerill in 1924, but the specimen was notseen by the author. 3.1.2. Polynesian Cultigens Rare intentional introductions (Polynesian cultigens) category includes “canoe plants” thatwere intentionally brought to Niue by ancient voyagers for the purpose of cultivation, but inmodern times have fallen into disuse and have or have nearly disappeared. Very few nativePolynesian species of plants are useful for anything other than timber, so to permanently colonizean island the ancient voyagers had to bring a suite of plants to cultivate and sustain them in theirnew permanent home. These plants were carried by the ancient voyagers when they started theireastward migrations into Polynesia, or they were picked up along the way. (At least two speciesappear to have come from the opposite direction—South America.) The arrival of Europeansinto Niue (starting in 1800s) opened a whole new avenue for cultivated plants from all over theworld. Many of these alien species, such as mango, proved to be very popular and are nowcommonly cultivated. Concurrently, many of the ancient useful species quickly lost popularityand their cultivation diminished and eventually ended. If these species were almost entirelydependent upon people to propagate them, they were very adversely affected. Good examples ofthis are the Polynesian melon (atiu, Cucumis melo) mentioned above and the Polynesian tomato(loku moka, Solanum ferox). Seven species considered to be rare Polynesian cultigens are shown in Table 2. They arearranged in alphabetical order by scientific name, and the number of times they have beencollected by each of the collectors is shown. Their last date of collection is also shown (which isan indication of whether they are likely to have been extirpated or not from Niue). 10 Table 2. Rare Polynesian Cultigens Number of Collections.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Species Collectors1 J Sm Y Sy W Last Found---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Bischofia javanica 00010 1965Cucumis melo 00210 1965Hibiscus abelmoschus 10240 1965Solanum ferox 1 0 1 2? 1 1997Solanum viride 10020 1965Syzygium neurocalyx 00000 NeverTephrosia purpurea2 00260 1965---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1Collectors: J=Jensen; Sm=Smith; Y=Yuncker; Sy=Sykes; and W=Whistler.2Also collected by Krauss in 1978. The large tree Bischofia javanica (koka?) was probably used as a dye for tapa cloth, butsince tapa making disappeared in Niue long ago, the knowledge of this plant being used as a dyein the process was forgotten along with the plant. It was collected only once on Niue (by Sykesin 1965), but never again. However, an informant at one of the 2013 workshops noted that thetree was growing on his property, and that it was used for making a tapa dye in the old days.Tephrosia purpurea was originally used as a fish poison, but because it is no longer used for this,it persists only as a weed, and is apparently unable to compete with the plethora of more recentlyintroduced weeds. Syzygium neurocalyx is an interesting species. It has never been collected onNiue, but its name (koli) is found in an early dictionary (Tregear and Smith 1907). It has thesame name in Tonga, where it is cultivated for its fragrant fruit, but apparently Niueans stoppedcultivating it before it was ever collected by a botanist. See the individual species profiles inAppendix 2 for more detailed information about each species. 3.2. Indigenous Species An indigenous plant can be rare for a number of reasons. The species may be at itsgeographical limit, and is rare because it is a recent natural arrival without sufficient time tospread, or because it is at its climatic limit (e.g., it may require a wetter or drier, or a colder orwarmer climate than that found in Niue in order to flourish). Alternately, it may be rare becauseof edaphic factors, e.g., it may thrive only on lava flows, which are absent from Niue. The nativespecies included here can be divided into four groups: littoral species, inland species (excludingorchids and ferns), orchids, and ferns and fern allies. 3.2.1. Littoral Species The term “littoral” refers to plants occurring on the seashore (Latin: litoris = of the shore),and whose presence and distribution are affected either directly or indirectly by the sea. Theirarea of occurrence, often called “littoral strand,” occupies a very narrow area on the immediatecoast, and typically exhibits zonation into several bands that run roughly parallel to the coastline. 11 Table 3. Rare Native Littoral Species Number of Collections.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Species Collectors1 J Sm Y Sy W Last Found---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Caesalpinia major 00320 1975Canavalia rosea2 01041 1997Cenchrus caliculatus 00211 1981Nicotiana fragrans 00022 2013Operculina ventricosa 00010 1965Portulaca samoensis 00020 1965Solanum amicorum 00201 1997Ximenia americana 00001 1997---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1Collectors: J=Jensen; Sm=Smith; Y=Yuncker; Sy=Sykes; and W=Whistler.2 All specimens collected were actually from inland sites.Littoral vegetation occurs on nearly all undisturbed shores of Niue, typically from just above thehigh-tide mark up to 5 or 10 m elevation, but sometimes higher on steep, exposed slopes. Littoral species are usually dispersed by seeds or fruits that float long distances in seawater,or they have barbed fruits that can stick to the feathers of seabirds. These dispersalcharacteristics account for the wide distributions of most littoral species: few Pacific littoralspecies are endemic to any one island group, and none in Niue are. Most of the rare Niueanlittoral plant species are common elsewhere in the Pacific, and their rarity on Niue can often beattributed to absence of their preferred substrate there, or to the simple fact that they may berecent arrivals that have not had time to spread. Eight littoral species considered to be rare onNiue are shown in Table 3. They are arranged in alphabetical order by scientific name, and thenumber of times they have been collected by each of the collectors is shown. Their last date ofcollection is also shown (which is an indication of whether they are likely to have been extirpatedor not from Niue). Four of the species on this list, Caesalpinia major, Canavalia rosea, Portulaca samoensis,and Ximenia americana, are widespread littoral species that for some reason are rare on Niue.Their habitat (littoral strand) is not threatened, so it is unclear why they are rare. Some may berecent arrivals that just have not had time to spread yet, while others may have arrived by chanceand may soon disappear, or have already disappeared, before they become widely established.Canavalia rosea is interesting, because it is a littoral species that so far on Niue has only beenfound in inland disturbed sites, possibly because it may have somehow been introduced to theisland. Three of the listed species are recommended here for inclusion on the Red List for Niue.The bur grass Cenchrus caliculatus is restricted mostly to scattered Polynesian islands, but hasapparently disappeared over much of its range, presumably due to competition with new weedsor because the seabirds that it requires for dispersal have themselves disappeared due to humanpredation. It is rare on Tonga (perhaps found only on the cliffs of ‘Eua) and appears to have beenextirpated from Samoa, where it was last collected in 1905. The tobacco relative Nicotianafragrans has been collected only four times on Niue, all of them from the north end of the island. 12 Elsewhere it is found only in Fiji (Ono-i-Lau, a new record), Tongatapu Island in Tonga, and theIsle of Pines in New Caledonia. With so few and far-flung localities, and its known rarity in thefirst three listed places (at least) in its range, it should be considered a rare and endangeredspecies. Solanum amicorum has a somewhat similar distribution, being reported only fromTonga and Niue. It appears to be a littoral species, but sometimes appears in disturbed coastalsites. It should also be considered endangered. The most problematical plant on the list is Operculina ventricosa. It is apparently native tothe Caribbean, but was somehow introduced into Guam, where it became naturalized. Itsubsequently appears to have spread naturally throughout the South Pacific, so while it isintroduced to the Pacific, it is a natural arrival to Niue, and hence “native.” Complicating thesituation is the fact that in Polynesia it hybridizes with a native species, Operculina turpethum(which, however, is not found on Niue). For more detailed information about each of the eightspecies, see the individual species profiles in Appendix 2. 3.2.2. Inland Species With the exception of coastal areas, Niue was originally almost entirely covered with nativerainforest. Fernlands that are now common on the island probably did not exist prior to thearrival of the first Niueans. The floor of the original forests was shady and the majority ofterrestrial shrubs, herbs, and vines found there were shade-tolerant. However, because ofoccasional tree falls, especially during the periodic cyclones that hit the island, a few speciesrequiring bright sunlight for germination and growth became established in the flora. Thethirteen inland species considered rare on Niue are shown in Table 4. They are divided into twogroups—trees and shrubs, and vines and herbs. Within the two groups they are arranged inalphabetical order by scientific name, and the number of times they have been collected by eachof the collectors is shown. Their last date of collection is also shown (which is an indication ofwhether or not they are likely to have been extirpated from Niue). The vast majority of nativeepiphytic or terrestrial herbs in the rainforest are orchids and ferns, and these are treatedseparately in the following two sections Most of the forest tree species present can be classified as primary forest species; thoseneeding sunlight for germination are classified as secondary forest trees. Two of the species inTable 4 are primary forest species—Drypetes vitiensis and Calophyllum neoebudicum (tamanu).The Drypetes may be more common than is apparent, since it can easily be mistaken for one ofthe two Diospyros species present on the island. The Calophyllum is very common in Samoaand Tonga, and there is a possibility that it may have been introduced into Niue in recent timesby foresters. Dendrocnide harveyi (magiho) and Elattostachys apetala (lautaha) are largesecondary forest species that are common elsewhere in Polynesia, while Trema cannabina(magele), which has not been collected on Niue since 1940, is a small tree characteristic offernlands and abandoned taro fields. Allophylus timoriensis is a small coastal or forest edgespecies. Gymnosporia vitiensis, which has been collected only once on Niue, is a shrub or smalltree characteristic of coastal sunny places. Wikstroemia foetida, which is also a small shrub, haslikewise been collected in only one place—the same place as Gymnosporia vitiensis (MatapaChasm). It is a new record for Niue. 13 Table 4. Rare Inland Native Species1 and Number of Collections.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Species Collectors2 J Sm Y Sy W Last Found--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trees and ShrubsAllophylus timoriensis 00130 2013Calophyllum neoebudicum 00031 1997Dendrocnide harveyi 00131 1997Drypetes vitiensis 00010 1965Elattostachys apetala 00221 1997Gymnnosporia vitiensis 00011 2013Trema cannabina 00300 1940Wikstroemia foetida 00001 2013 Vines and HerbsCyrtococcum oxyphyullum 00010 1965Mariscus seemannianus 00040 1965Miscanthus floridulus 00200 1965Pachygone vitiensis 00011 1997Passiflora aurantia 00121 1997---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1Orchids and ferns and fern-allies are show in the following two tables.2Collectors: J=Jensen; Sm=Smith; Y=Yuncker; Sy=Sykes; and W=Whistler. The second part of Table 4 includes vines and herbs. Cyrtococcum oxyphyllum (a grass) andMariscus seemannianus (a sedge) are forest clearing and trailside species, and both may haveprobably become rare due to competition with more recently introduced weeds. Pachygonevitiensis and Passiflora aurantia are forest vines probably once common on the edges of forestclearings, and have probably likewise become rare because of competition with recentlyintroduced weeds. Miscanthus floridulus (kaho) is a native reed characteristic of fernlands, andalthough common elsewhere in Polynesia, it is now rare on Niue (and was not seen there by theauthor during any of his five visits). For more detailed information about the thirteen species,see the individual species profiles in Appendix 2. 3.2.3. Orchid Species Orchids are best treated separately from other rare inland forest species on Niue because theycomprise such a large and unique group of plants. At least fifteen are native to Niue, making itthe largest native family in Niue’s flora. Two other species at first glance appear to be native, butprobably recently arrived on the island by undetermined means. Seven species are included hereon the list of rare indigenous orchids. Ecologically, orchids can be divided into two main groups, epiphytes and terrestrials, andthese should also be treated differently from each other. Epiphytes are particularly difficult tomonitor, because they can be virtually invisible high in the trees in closed canopy forest. 14 Table 5. Rare Orchid Species and Number of Collections.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Species Collectors1 J Sm Y Sy W Last Found---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Bulbophyllum distichobulbum 0 0 2 3 2 1997Bulbophyllum longiscapum 0 0 1 2 1 1997Didymoplexis micradenia 0 0 0 2 2 1997Eulophia pulchra 0 0 0 2 0 1965Geodorum densiflorum 0 0 1 1 0 1965Nervilia concolor 0 0 1 3 1 2013Tuberolabium papuanum 0 0 1 3 0 1965---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1Collectors: J=Jensen; Sm=Smith; Y=Yuncker; Sy=Sykes; and W=Whistler.Because of this, the apparently rare species listed here may not actually be rare, just rarelycollected (i.e., hard to find, but not rare). Terrestrial species, however, are much easier to findwhen present, but when forests are disturbed, the terrestrials are more adversely affected than theepiphytes because the ground is the part of the forest that suffers the most. As a group, orchidsare also globally threatened, because many of them are prized by commercial and local amateurcollectors, which means they need protection from over-collecting. However, instances of nativeorchids being collected in excess on Niue are not known. The seven orchid species considered tobe rare on Niue are shown in Table 5. They are arranged in alphabetical order by scientific name,and the number of times they have been collected by each of the collectors is shown. Their lastdate of collection is also shown (which is an indication of whether they are likely to have beenextirpated or not from Niue). Three of the orchids—Bulbophyllum distichobulbum, Bulbophyllum longiscapum, andTuberolabium papuanum—are epiphytic, the other four are terrestrial. Most of them are found inprimary forest in the north-central part of the island (around Fetuna) or in the HuvaluConservation Area. All except one are wide-ranging species. The exception is Bulbophyllumdistichobulbum, which is found only on Tutuila (where it is rare) and Niue. Because of this veryrestricted distribution, it should be red-listed. All Niuean orchids are on the CITES (Conventionon the International Trade in Endangered Species) list, so nothing else much needs to be done toprotect them at the moment, other than simply enforcing existing legislation and protecting thenative forests in which they occur. For more detailed information about the seven orchid species,see the individual species profiles in Appendix 2. 3.2.4. Fern and Fern-ally Species Ferns and fern allies (an eclectic group of plants evolutionarily situated between fern andflowering plants) are, like orchids, best treated separately from other rare inland forest species onNiue. Like orchids, they are herbaceous, mostly shade-loving, and can be divided into twogroups based upon habitat preferences. Most of Niue’s ferns are terrestrial, growing in the shadeof the forest floor. However, one species, Nephrolepis hirsutula (mohuku) is the dominant 15 Table 6. Rare Fern and Fern Ally Species and Number of Collections.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Species Collectors1 J Sm Y Sy W Last Found---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Angiopteris evecta 0 0 1 3 02 2013Amphineuron cf. opulentum 00002 2013Diplazium proliferum 0 0 02 1 0 1965Lycopodium phlegmaria 10000 1901Monogramma paradoxa 00010 1965Ophioglossum petiolatum 1? 0 0 1 1 1997Phymatosorus nigrescens 00010 1965Trichomanes taitensis 00001 1997Schizaea dichotoma 00011 1997Vittaria elongata 00001 1997---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1Collectors: J=Jensen; Sm=Smith; Y=Yuncker; Sy=Sykes; and W=Whistler.2 Seen but not collected.species in the sun-drenched fernlands. A minority of Niue’s ferns grow as epiphytes on treetrunks or in the forest canopy where they can get the sunlight they need. Epiphytes areparticularly difficult to monitor, because they can be virtually invisible high in the trees in closedcanopy forest. Because of this, the apparently rare species listed here may not actually be rare,just rarely collected (i.e., they are hard to find, but not rare). Because of the small size of theisland and relatively low rainfall (many fern species need constantly wet conditions), only 25ferns and two fern allies are native to Niue. Most of these species are few and far between in theinland forest. Ten fern and fern ally species considered to be rare on Niue are shown in Table 6.They are arranged in alphabetical order by scientific name, and the number of times they havebeen collected by each of the collectors is shown. Their last date of collection is also shown(which is an indication of whether they are likely to have been extirpated or not from Niue). Six of the ten listed ferns have been collected only once, and one of them, the fern-allyLycopodium phlegmaria, has not been seen on Niue since 1901. Half of the species areepiphytic, half are terrestrial. One of the terrestrial species, Angiopteris evecta (palatao;kingfern), is particularly visible when present, since it looks like a trunk-less tree fern with frondsup to 3 m or more in length radiating out from a large base. Most of rare ferns are likely to befound in the areas of remaining forest in the north-central part of the island near Fetuna and inthe Huvalu Conservation Area. Surveys in these areas, particularly with the use of binoculars tospot epiphytes, may show that some of them are more common than is apparent. These ferns areprobably not threatened as long as their preferred habitat, primary forest, is protected. For moredetailed information about the ten fern species, see the individual species profiles in Appendix 2.4. DISCUSSION The definitions of the terms “rare,” “threatened,” and “endangered” are viewed in differentways in different places. The United States Interior Department’s Fish and Wildlife Service 16 (FWS) has primary responsibility for terrestrial and freshwater plants, as provided for in theEndangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. Under the ESA, plant species may be listed as either“endangered” or “threatened.” Endangered means a species is in danger of extinction throughoutall or a significant portion of its range. Threatened means a species is likely to becomeendangered within the foreseeable future. As of March 2008, the FWS had listed 1,925 speciesworldwide as endangered or threatened, 1,351 of which occur in the U.S. The term “rare” has nolegal meaning, but is used in this report to mean “difficult to find,” a more general term. The main international agency in charge of rare plants is the International Union for theConservation of Nature (IUCN), which produces a list of these species on its “Red List”. Basedupon frequency and distribution, the IUCN system divides plants into nine categories: Extinct(EX); Extinct in the Wild (EW); Critically Endangered (CR); Endangered (EN); Vulnerable(VU); Near Threatened (NT); Least Concern (LC); Data Deficient (DD); and Not Evaluated(NE). Assigning plants to these somewhat complicated categories is based upon a lot of data,data that is almost entirely lacking on Niue. The definitions of these IUCN categories can beseen in Appendix 2 in two earlier publications (Whistler 2010, 2011). New Zealand, which has a very active program for protecting its rare plants, uses its ownsystem of classification. Townsend et al. (2008) has developed the New Zealand ThreatClassification System so that every native organism existing in the wild in New Zealand can beassigned a threat status. The species on the list are divided into two main groups: those that areable to be evaluated and those that cannot. Those that cannot be evaluated, for whatever reason,are assigned the category “Data Deficient” (as on the IUCN Red List). The categories withsufficient data for evaluation are as follows. 1. Extinct—Plants that are, without a doubt, no longer found in New Zealand. This actuallyincludes plants that are extinct (no longer exist on the planet) and extirpated (no longer exist inNew Zealand). As de Lange et al. (2010) note, it is nearly impossible to prove that a plant isextinct, and there are plant species that have been listed thus and subsequently rediscovered.Species extinct in the wild but remaining in cultivation are not included in this category, nor arespecies that arrived by chance but did not become established (“vagrants”). 2. Threatened—Plants that are on the road to extinction. This category is subdivided intoseveral smaller categories based upon the population size and the current and predicted declinerate for the taxon: (1) Nationally Critical; (2) Nationally Endangered; and (3) NationallyVulnerable. Sixteen additional qualifiers are used in this system, such as “extinct in the wild,”“range restricted,” and “island endemic.” 3. At Risk—Plants that are at some risk of extinction but are not as yet directly threatened. 4. Not Threatened—Species that have been evaluated but have been determined not to beendangered or threatened in the country. Virtually no work has been done on the rare plants of Niue, and no species are listed on theIUCN Red List. A survey of rare plants was recently prepared for American Samoa (Whistler2004B). For that study a rare plant was defined as a species currently difficult to find, andincluded 109 species. Non-native plants (weeds and cultigens) were also included they wereonce a part of Samoan culture. Twenty of the 109 species were recommended for furtherconsideration as “threatened” or “endangered” in American Samoa. The project alsoincorporated GIS data to represent the location of collection sites. A database was developed andintegrated with a web portal (www.cieer.org/efloras/samoa/) to present the data to the generalpublic. Unfortunately, there has been no response or effort to protect the identified species since 17 the completion of the report, and at the moment (March 2013) the site lacks the ability to showthe collection sites on maps. A similar study was carried out for independent Samoa (Whistler 2010). That reportidentified 108 rare flowering plant species as being rare or hard to find, and 37 of them wererecommended to be considered for inclusion in the Red List of threatened or endangered plantsfor Samoa. Seven of the 108 plants were Polynesian weeds and cultigens included because theyare disappearing in or have disappeared from Samoa. Four of the seven on the list are the sameas ones on Niue’s list of disappearing Polynesian weeds and cultural plants. Apparently nothinghas been done to implement the recommendations on red-listing since that publication came out. A third study was carried out by the author for Tonga (Whistler 2011). That report identified97 rare flowering plant species as being rare or hard to find, and 30 of them were recommendedto be considered for inclusion in the Red List of threatened or endangered plants for Tonga.Eight Polynesian weeds and cultigens were included in the discussion because they aredisappearing in or have disappeared from Tonga. Three of the eight on the list are the same asthe ones on Niue’s list of disappearing Polynesian weeds and cultural plants. As is the case withthe Samoa report, apparently nothing has been done to implement the recommendations on red-listing since that publication came out. The purpose of the present report is the same as for theprevious three studies—to determine which plants are rare or currently hard to find on Niue.From the 57 plants selected during the present study, and the resulting recommendations at theend of the present report, botanists and conservationists can make educated decisions as to whichspecies should be included on IUCN’s Red List of threatened or endangered Niuean plants. 4.1. Niue Plants Needing Protection Based upon the research and field works for this report, 57 rare flowering plant, fern, andfern-ally species are recognized here as rare on Niue. Four of the native species arerecommended for consideration for inclusion on the Red List of Niue plants produced by theIUCN. Because only native species can be put on the Red List, other traditional species, i.e.,Polynesia weeds and traditionally cultivated species, are not eligible for red-listing. However,several of these species are disappearing or have disappeared from Niue, and should beconsidered for further study to see if they are disappearing throughout their range. For details onthe most critical species (the four native and six cultural species) discussed below, see theircomplete profiles in Appendix 2. 4.1.1. Native Species Recommended for Red-Listing Four native herbaceous species are recommended here for inclusion on the Niue’s Red Listof threatened and endangered plants. All four are restricted in range (only one extends outside ofPolynesia) and/or are disappearing throughout they range. The four native species recommendedhere are as follows. (1) Bulbophyllum distichobulbum (no Niuean name)—This small epiphytic orchid isrestricted to only two islands—Niue and to the island of Tutuila in American Samoa, and thushas a very restricted range. It was collected twice on Niue by Yuncker, who noted for bothspecimens that it occurred on trees in deep forest. Sykes, who collected it three times, noted it 18 being “seemingly very common high up on trees in Niuean forests.” It was found duringWhistler’s 1997 visit, but not the ones in 2003 and 2013. It is also rare on Tutuila, where it hasbeen collected only four times (all by the present author). Because of its very restricteddistribution and relative infrequency, it should be included on Niue’s Red List. See the details inits species profile in Appendix 2. (2) Cenchrus caliculatus (no Niuean name)—This large littoral grass was probably oncecommon in Polynesia (it ranges from New Caledonia to the Society Islands), especially nearseabird colonies, since its seeds are apparently dispersed by adhering to seabird feathers.However, it seems to be unable to compete with newly introduced weeds. It may also be harmedby the disappearance of seabird colonies due to the advent of Polynesians and then Europeans,who have killed the birds for food and moved into their former nesting areas. The grass hasapparently been extirpated from both sides of the Samoan Archipelago (Whistler 2004B, 2010)and is becoming rare over most of the rest of its Polynesian range, including Tonga where it iscurrently known only from the cliffs of ‘Eua. It is recommended here for inclusion on theNiuean Red List because of its widespread disappearance in Polynesia, its being restricted to alimited habitat, and because it has not been collected on Niue since 1981. See the details in itsspecies profile in Appendix 2. (3) Nicotiana fragrans—This small littoral herb is found only in Tonga, Niue, Ono-i-Lau(Fiji), and the Isle of Pines (New Caledonia). It is known from only a few locations in Tonga onthe southwest coast of Tongatapu, and on Niue appears to be restricted to several coastallocations on the north end of the island. It was seen in only one place on Ono-i-Lau, where itwas recorded by the author as a new species record for Fiji. Its frequency on the Isle of Pines isunclear. It is recommended here for inclusion on the Niue Red List because of its limited globalrange, its limited distribution on Niue, and the limited suitable habitat available (littorallimestone cliff coast). It was also on the list of Tongan plants recommended for red-listing(Whistler 2011). See the details in the species profiles in Appendix 2. (4) Solanum amicorum—This subshrub is found only in Tonga and Niue, so it is nearly anendemic species. There is also one record of it being collected in Samoa in the 1880s, but thisrecord is doubtful. It is not clear what its preferred habitat is since it has usually been collectedin disturbed coastal areas. This might indicate that it is a coastal weed, but because it is restrictedto only Tonga and Niue, it has to have a natural habitat—probably open coastal areas—in one orboth of these two island countries. It is rare on Niue in coastal areas and thickets on the west sideof the island. It was not listed in Yuncker, but two of his specimens, one identified as Solanumuporo and the other not included in his publication, belong here. Sykes did not find this species,and Whistler found it only in 1997. It is recommended here for inclusion on the Niue Red List ofthreatened and endangered plants because of its limited global range and its rarity on Niue. Seethe details in the species profiles in Appendix 2. 4.1.2. Polynesian Weeds and Cultigens of Concern As noted earlier, in addition to the native species that can put on the currently empty RedList of Niuean plants, there are a number of traditional plants that have either been inadvertentlyor intentionally introduced by the early Niueans. The first are known as Polynesian weeds, thelatter as Polynesian cultigens. Six species have been selected here as deserving recognition asbeing threatened in Niue, as well as on other Polynesian islands. Normally, alien plants like this 19 would not be further considered, but these species may be threatened elsewhere in their range,and their rarity on Niue should be noted, even though they may not qualify for red-listing. Thesix species are as follows. See the details of these species in their profiles in Appendix 2. (1) Cucumis melo (‘atiu)—This vine, which is native to somewhere between tropical EastAfrica and India, was an ancient intentional introduction eastward across Polynesia to theMarquesas. It was probably cultivated and naturalized in this large area, and was used as a minorfood source and for making fragrant leis. However, after the advent of Europeans into Niue, itwas probably not able to compete with the aggressive weeds that came along with them. Also,many new food crops were introduced, making this small fruit superfluous and no longer worthyof cultivation. The plant has been collected only three times on Niue, the last time in 1965. Ithas probably been extirpated from Tonga, as well as in independent Samoa. It is included on therare plants of American Samoa, Samoa, and Tonga (Whistler 2004B, 2010, 2011). (2) Leucas decemdentata (no Niuean name)—This small herb is probably a Polyneisanintroduction to Niue, either brought in intentionally as a medicinal plant or accidentally as aweed, and ranges from tropical Asia to the Society Islands. It was probably common in pre-European times but is now rare apparently because of its inability to compete with more-recentlyintroduced weeds. It has not been collected in Samoa for over 80 years (Whistler 2010), and inAmerican Samoa is restricted to a few localities in the Manu‘a Islands (Whistler 2004B). Themost recent collection or record of it on Niue was 1965 (Sykes collected it four times). Althoughit may be more common in eastern part of it range, i.e., Asia, it appears to be disappearing fromPolynesia. (3) Sida samoensis (mōtofu totolo?)—This small prostrate woody herb, which is native toFiji and/or western Polynesia or eastern Melanesia, is somewhat enigmatic, since nearly all of itscollections are from disturbed places, making its native habitat difficult to determine. It wascollected once by Yuncker and three times by Sykes, but has not been reported on Niue since1965. It is also reported to be rare or disappearing in American Samoa (Whistler 2004B), Samoa(Whistler 2010), and Tonga (Whistler 2011), thus becoming rare throughout its westernPolynesian range. It was probably much more common prior the European era, but has declinedin frequency most likely because of the competition with more aggressive weeds introducedduring the last two centuries. (4) Solanum ferox (loku moka)—This subshrub, which is native to somewhere in Melanesia,was an ancient Polynesian introduction to Fiji and eastward to the Marquesas, apparently beingderived from a wild Melanesian species by selection of spineless individuals. It was formerlycultivated for is tomato-like fruits, but probably was ignored when more prolific fruits liketomatoes were introduced in the European era. The plant has apparently been collected once inTonga, in 1926 on ‘Eua. It was also collected once in American Samoa (Whistler 2004B) andfour times in Samoa (Whistler 2010), but has probably been extirpated there now since it has notbeen collected in the archipelago since 1905. It has been disappearing, or has disappeared fromthroughout its Polynesian range, but still may be found in Fiji (in inland villages) and the CookIslands (where the present author collected it once). The species has probably been extirpatedfrom Samoa and perhaps parts of eastern Polynesia, but is still found in Fiji, Niue, and perhapsthe Cook Islands. Six collections have been made on Niue, most recently in 1997. It wasprobably much more common prior the European era, but has most likely declined in frequencybecause of the competition with more aggressive weeds introduced during the last two centuries. 20 (5) Solanum viride—This subshrub is probably an ancient introduction to Niue, but wasoriginally native to somewhere in eastern Melanesia. It spread naturally or was introduced byancient Polynesians eastward across the Pacific to Hawai‘i. The exact native range is difficult todetermine: it still occurs in native habitats and has a fruit that appears to be attractive to birds, butit was apparently cultivated on many islands, where it has since disappeared after cultivation wasterminated. It is currently rare on Niue in old plantations and cleared areas, and has beencollected four times, most recently in 1965. The fruits were probably once used as a minor foodsource and possibly for decoration, and the plant probably had medicinal uses. It is also rare inmost of the rest of its range. It was collected six times in American Samoa (Whistler 2004B) andat least 20 times in Samoa (Whistler 2010), but only seven of those 26 specimens are recent(since 1935). It is also rare in Tokelau. It was probably much more common prior the Europeanera, but has declined in frequency probably because of competition with more aggressive weedsintroduced during the last two centuries. (6) Uraria lagopodoides—This woody herb is a Polynesian introduction to Niue and the restof western Polynesia, and is native to southern Asia. It is uncommon in disturbed places onNiue, where it was probably accidentally introduced in ancient times. It was probably once acommon weed, but has now nearly disappeared since it cannot compete with the aggressive,more recently introduced weeds. Yuncker and Sykes both collected it twice, but it has not beenrecorded on Niue since 1965. It has been collected about a dozen times in Tonga, but only twoof these collections were made since 1975 (Whistler 2011); a half dozen were made in AmericanSamoa, but only two of them since the 1920s (Whistler 2004B), both from the small island ofAunu‘u. It is probably also disappearing in Samoa.5. RECOMMENDATIONS The author would like to make several recommendations for future research and otheractivities involving the rare plants of Niue.1. A more comprehensive survey of the rare plants of Niue. For the present report, the author spent only two weeks on the island, and most of that timewas taken up preparing the workshop. Relatively little time was spent on field work other than tovisit a few locations along with the trainees taking the workshop. The area around Fetuna shouldbe particularly surveyed for ferns and orchids, since these two groups seem to be concentrated inprimary forests like this. The use of binoculars in the search for epiphytes would be an integralpart of the survey. The results should then be put into an updated and expanded report on therare plants of the island.2. Completion of a flora of Niue. A complete and useable flora of Niue should be prepared. There have been several partial ornow out-of-date floras, including Yuncker (1943), Sykes (1970), and Gardner (2011). Gardner’spublication deals with the trees and shrubs, but he is currently preparing one on the herbaceousspecies for publication. All this information, along with the present report, should be puttogether into a single flora. 21 3. Red-Listing of Niuean Plant Species. The present report provides the frequency data of 57 species that are “rare” on Niue, andfour of those are being recommended herein for inclusion in the IUCN Red List of threatened andendangered Niuean plants. To put the species on the Red List, a panel of experts shouldcollaborate and determine which if not all of the four species should be listed. The preparation ofrecommendations for Red List plants is only the first step, since some countries have a plethoraof data to go along with each species. The only information specific to the rare plants of Niue isfound in the present report, and this is only preliminary research. With more research, additionalspecies may be determined to be rare, and the Red List may be augmented with these.4. Geo-reference rare plant specimens. Geo-referencing of collection records was incorporated into the study of the rare plants ofAmerican Samoa (Whistler 2005; www.cieer.org/efloras/samoa/). The species records that aretreated this way show up on maps of the individual islands and for the whole archipelago.(However, due to technical difficulties, the geo-referencing of the American Samoa was notworking correctly at the time of the present report, March 2013.) This is very helpful in showingwhere all the records of a rare species occur, and which areas have the highest concentrations.5. Establishment of a secure national herbarium for Niue. The only herbarium on the Island is found at the Department of Agriculture. It includesseveral hundred specimens, including a partial set made by Sykes during his visits, stored in adilapidated cabinet. It is in a woeful state of neglect, with many of the herbarium paperscrumbling. The specimens are in relatively good shape, however, since they were soaked inpoison prior to mounting, which retards insect damage. Only a single airtight case would beneeded, along with a supply or giant Ziploc bags to be used if the herbarium case cannot bestored in an air-conditioned room. This herbarium would be useful to visiting scientists as wellas interested local people.6. Establishment of a botanical garden to conserve rare plants. A botanical garden should be set up in Niue to grow rare native plants and cultigens. Thiswould probably be best situated on the government’s Vaipapahi Farm. It would be used topreserve the rare plants of Niue, and could also be used by native healers who are having troublelocating the plants they use in their medicines. It is also advisable to set up an exchange of plantswith regional or global botanical gardens under the Botanical Gardens Conservation International(BGCI) program to make sure that the native species and cultigens do not disappear. Botanicalgardens like the National Tropical Botanical Garden and the Lyon Arboretum in Hawai‘i haveestablished programs. 22 6. SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHYCribb, P.J. and W.A. Whistler. 2011. The orchids of Tonga, Niue, and the Cook Islands. Lankesteriana 11 (2): 96–177.De Lang, P.J., P. Heenan, D.A. Norton, J. Rolfe, and J. Sawyer. 2010. Threatened plants of New Zealand. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch. 471 pp.Forestry Section. 1990. The natural forest of Niue Island: merchantable forest survey Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. 43 pp.Gardner, R.O. 2011. Trees and shrubs of Niue. Katsura, Auckland. 250 pp.Smith, A.C. 1971–1995. Flora vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. Vol. 1: 1–495 (1979); II: 1– 810 (1981): III: 1–758 (1985); IV: 1–377 (1988); V: 1–626 (1991). VI: 1–125 (1996). Nat. Trop. Bot. Gard., Lawai, Kauai.St. John, H. 1976. A plant collection from Niue Island by Jensen in 1876. Botanical Magazine of Tokyo 89: 235–240.Sykes, W.R. 1970. Contributions to the flora of Niue. N.Z. Department of Science & Industrial Research Bull. 200: 1–321 pp.Takhtajan, A. 1969. Flowering Plants: Origin and Dispersal. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. 310 pp.Townsend, A.J. et al. 2008. New Zealand Threat Classification System manual. Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand. 35 pp.Tregear, E. and S.P. Smith. 1907. Vocabulary and grammar of the Niue dialect of the Polynesian language. J. Mackay, Govt. Printer, Wellington. 179 pp.Whistler, W.A. 1984. Notes on the flora of Niue. N.Z. Journal of Botany 22: 565–567.Whistler, W.A. 2004A. Rainforest trees of Samoa. Isle Botanica, Honolulu. 210 pp.Whistler, W.A. 2004B. Plants of concern in American Samoa. Report prepared for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Honolulu. 56 pp. (Mimeograph)Whistler, W.A. 2009. Plants of the canoe People. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai. 241 pp.Whistler, W.A. 2010. Rare plants of Samoa. Report Prepared for the Samoan Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE). 163 pp. (Mimeograph)Whistler, W.A. 2011. Rare plants of Tonga. Conservation International, Pacific Islands. 173 pp. Mimeograph.Whistler, W.A. and J. Atherton. 1997. Botanical survey of the Huvalu Forest Conservation Area. SPREP, Apia. 76 pp.Wright, A.C.S. and F. J. Westerndorp. 1965. Soils and agriculture of Niue Island. N.Z. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Soil Bureau Bull. 17: 1–80 pp.Yuncker, G.G. 1943. The flora of Niue Island. B. P. Bishop Museum Bull. 178. 126 pp. 23 APPENDIX 1. CHECKLIST OF THE RARE PLANTS OF NIUE FAMILY SPECIES AUTHORS NIUE NAME DICOTSASTERACEAE Forst.BRASSICACEAE Adenostemma viscosumCELASTRACEAE Rorippa sarmentosa (DC.) MacbrideCLUSIACEAE Gymnosporia vitiensisCONVOLVULACEAE Calophyllum neo-ebudicum (A. Gray) Seem.CUCURBITACEAE Operculina ventricosaEUPHORBIACEAE Cucumis melo Guillaumin tamanuEUPHORBIACEAE Acalypha lanceolataEUPHORBIACEAE Bischofia javanica (Bertero) PeterFABACEAE Drypetes vitiensisFABACEAE Caesalpinia major L. atiuFABACEAE Canavalia roseaFABACEAE Desmodium heterocarpon Willd.FABACEAE Tephrosia purpureaLAMIACEAE Uraria lagopodioides Bl. koka?MALVACEAE Leucas decemdentataMALVACEAE Hibiscus abelmoschus CroizatMALVACEAE Sida samoensisMENISPERMACEAE Urena lobata (Medik.) Dandy & Exell talamoaMYRTACEAE Pachygone cf. vitienseNYCTAGINACEAE Syzygium neurocalyx (Sw.) DC. fetekaOLACACEAE Boerhavia acutifoliaPASSIFLORACEAE Ximenia americana (L.) DC.PORTULACACEAE Passiflora aurantiaSAPINDACEAE Portulaca samoensis (L.) Pers. kohuhuSAPINDACEAE Allophylus timoriensisSOLANACEAE Elattostachys apetala (L.) Desv. uluhega?SOLANACEAE Nicotiana fragransSOLANACEAE Solanum amicorum (Forst. f.) Sm.SOLANACEAE Solanum feroxTHYMELAEACEAE Solanum viride L. fou igoULMACEAE Wikstroemia foetidaURTICACEAE Trema cannabina Rechinger motofu totolo?URTICACEAE Dendrocnide harveyi Laportea interrupta L. mōtipo Diels (A. Gray) Christoph. koli (Choisy) J.W. Moore katule L. Forst. f. Poell. (DC.) Bl. (Labill.) Radlk. lautaha Hooker Benth. L. loku moka Sol. ex Forst. f. polo iti (L.f.) A. Gray Lour. magele (Seem.) Chew magiho (L.) Chew ogoogo 24 FAMILY SPECIES AUTHORS NIUE NAMECYPERACEAE MONOCOTS (Burm. f.) KernCYPERACEAEORCHIDACEAE Fimbristylis ovata (Boeck.) PallaORCHIDACEAE Mariscus seemannianusORCHIDACEAE Bulbophyllum distichobulbum CribbORCHIDACEAE Bulbophyllum longiscapumORCHIDACEAE Didymoplexis micradenia RolfeORCHIDACEAE Eulophia pulchraORCHIDACEAE Geodorum densiflorum (Rchb. f.) Hemsl.POACEAE Nervilia concolorPOACEAE Tuberolabium papuanum (Thou.) Lindl.POACEAE Brachiaria paspaloidesPOACEAE Cenchrus caliculatus (Lam.) Schltr. Cyrtococcum oxyphyllum Miscanthus floridulus (Bl.) Schltr. (Schltr.) J.J. Wood (Presl) C.E. Hubb. Cav. (Hoch. ex Steud.) Stapf (Labill.) Warb. kaho ex K. Sch. & Lauterb. FERNSATHYRIACEAE Diplazium proliferum (Lam.) Thouars. NadeauHYMENOPHYLLACEAE Trichomanes tahitense (Forst. f.) Hoffmann HookerMARATTIACEAE Angiopteris evecta (Bl.) Pichi Serm. palatao (L.) J.E. Sm.OPHIOGLOSSACEAE Ophioglossum petiolatum (Kaulf.) Holttum (Fée) Bedd.POLYPODIACEAE Phymatosorus nigrescens Sw.SCHIZAEACEAE Schizaea dichotomaTHELYPTERIDACEAE Amphineuron cf. opulentumVITTARIACEAE Monogramma paradoxaVITTARIACEAE Vittaria elongataLYCOPODIACEAE FERN ALLIES L. Lycopodium phlegmaria 25 7. APPENDIX 4. RARE NIUEAN PLANT PROFILES Fifty-seven species have been identified as being rare or difficult to find on Niue, and profilesfor each of these species are presented here. The profiles include the following information: (1)species name; (2) botanical family to which the species belongs; (3) author(s) of the speciesname; (4) synonyms of the species name, and their authors; (5) Niuean name (if any); (6) Englishname (if any); (7) status (e.g., rare endemic); (8) reason for listing as a rare plant; and (9)suggested action for protecting the species. This is followed by a paragraph describing the range,habitat, geographic distribution, frequency, and any ethnobotanical uses, and then by a botanicaldescription that was written based upon previous literature, field descriptions from livecollections made by the author, and descriptions based on dried botanical collections. Finally, alisting of the sites of collection of all known specimens is presented. Each profile isaccompanied by a color photo of the plant. DICOTS ASTERACEAEAdenostemma viscosum Forst.Adenostemma lavenia (L.) KuntzeNiuean Name: noneEnglish Name: noneReason for Listing: absence of modern collectionStatus: Polynesian adventiveSuggestion Action: nothing can be done if it is now extinct on Niue, which it probably is.Indigenous or perhaps an ancient introduction toNiue, ranging from Sri Lanka (east Africa?) toHawai‘i (if this species name is used). It is mostlikely an ancient introduction to Hawai‘i, at least, butcould be native to western Polynesia. It may havebeen a common weed in Niue prior to the arrival ofEuropeans, but could not compete with the morerecently introduced weeds, leading to itsdisappearance. Sykes noted it was collected only byP.S. Smith in 1901 and Mr. Cockerill in ca. 1924,but never again. No habitat information wasrecorded on the specimens. A.C. Smith (1991: 294)noted that Adenostemma lavenia is a species Adenostemma viscosum (Hawaii)apparently nearly restricted to Ceylon, and listedAdenostemma viscosum and Adenostemma lanceolatum as occurring in Polynesia—the former“into the Pacific to the Tuamotu Islands and Hawai‘i,” the latter in “the Society Islands andSamoa.” Wagner et al. (1990), however, used Adenostemma viscosum to include all of these 26 Polynesian populations, noting that recognizing the three species “does not appear to result inmeaningful taxa” in Hawai‘i. More work needs to be done on this complex. It is likely that onlyone species occurs in Polynesia, and that this should be called Adenostemma viscosum. The plantis used medicinally in the Society Islands. Herb, erect to ascending, up to 60 cm or more in height, with subglabrous to glandular-pubescence stems. Leaves simple, opposite; blade ovate to narrowly ovate, 4–14 cm long, long-attenuate at the base, blunt to occasionally acute at the tip; surfaces glabrous, 3-nerved from thebase; margins coarsely dentate to subentire; petiole 0.5–3.5 cm long. Inflorescence of discoidheads 5–6 mm long, surrounded by several series of subequal, sparsely glandular-piloseinvolucral bracts, on peduncles 0.5–2 cm long and arranged in spreading panicles up to 10 cmlong. Ray florets none. Disc florets white, 1–2 mm long, campanulate to funnelform with ashort tube, 5-lobed at the tip. Ovary superior, with a filamentous, 2-lobed style. Stamens 5,epipetalous in the corolla throat. Fruit a turbinate achene 2.5–3 mm long, with 3 short thickprocesses at the tip. Flowering and fruiting occur continuously. Distinguishable by its herbaceous habit; opposite leaves with toothed margins; foliageusually pubescent; and loose panicles of small discoid heads with white disc florets and no rayflorets. Specimens:Smith 97—Without further location.Cockerill s.n.—Specimen at the Dominion Museum in Wellington, collected in 1924, not seen. BRASSICACEAERorippa sarmentosa (DC.) MacbrideNasturtium sarmentosum (Sol. ex Forst. f.) SchulzNasturtium sp. of SykesNiuean Name: holofaEnglish Name: Polynesian cressReason for Listing: infrequency of modern collectionStatus: Polynesian adventiveSuggestion Action: The plant is medicinal, and should be located and propagated in gardens to make sure that it does not disappear from Niue. A Polynesian introduction (or possibly indigenous) to Rorippa sarmentosa (Samoa?)Niue, ranging from New Caledonia to Hawai‘i, butprobably an ancient introduction over most of the easternpart of his range. It is a weed of cultivated places,particularly around houses in villages, but also grows onlimestone rocks near the sea. The plant is usedmedicinally in Niue, as it is over most of its Polynesianrange. Yuncker noted it as a “roadside and plantationweed.” Sykes noted it to be “found only on rocky cliffs onthe slopes of the lower terrace” and its being “rather27 uncommon…” It was not found during the Whistler 1997 or 2003 visits, but was encounteredonce during the 2013 survey in potholes in Avaiki cave. Herb up to 60 cm in height and with glabrous stems arising from a long, thick tap root.Leaves pinnately compound, alternate in a basal rosette, rachis mostly 2–9 (–18) cm long;leaflets 3–7, broadly and irregularly ovate to reniform, with the terminal one 0.6–4 cm long beingthe largest; surfaces glabrous; margins unevenly crenate; petiolule 1–12 mm long. Inflorescenceof erect, several-flowered racemes up to 23 cm long arising from the rosette. Calyx of 5 ovatelobes ca. 1.5 mm long, on a pedicel up to 8 mm long in fruit. Corolla of 4 free round petals 1–2mm long, white or tinged purple. Ovary superior, with a short capitate style. Stamens 6, free,included. Fruit a cylindrical pod 1.4–3 cm long, with many tiny reddish brown seeds in 2 rowsseparated by a partition. Flowering and fruiting occurring throughout the year. Distinguishable by its herbaceous habit; pinnately compound, alternate leaves in basalrosettes; racemes of flowers having 4 tiny white petals and 6 stamens; and cylindrical pods. Specimens:Yuncker 9768—Roadside weed 6 miles east of Alofi.Sykes 787 (170267)—In a gully running down to the sea near Makefu.Sykes 867 (170266)—Among coral pebbles on the path along the Tuhia ‘Atua to Hakupu track.Whistler 12993—Shallow pockets of soil at near the sea inside Avaiki cave. CELASTRACEAEGymnosporia vitiensis (A. Gray) Seem.Maytenus vitiensis (A. Gray) Ding HouNiuean Name: noneEnglish Name: noneReason for Listing: infrequency of collectionStatus: indigenousSuggestion Action: other coastal areas on the island should be searched to see the extent of the population on Niue, and GPS coordinates recorded for any individuals found.Indigenous to Niue, ranging from Fiji to theGambier Islands. It is rare on coastal limestonerocks, so far reported only from Matapa Chasm,where a single individual was found by Sykes on acliff face. No uses or common names have beenrecorded, and is doubtful if anyone on the islandwould recognize the plant. Scandent shrub or small tree up to 2 m (–10 m) Gymnosporia vitiensis (Samoa)in height, with glabrous stems. Leaves simple,alternate; blade elliptic to ovate or subround, 2.5–11 cm long, acute to cuneate or rarely roundedat the base, acute to rounded at the tip; surfaces glabrous, veins pale in color; margins crenulate;petiole 5–13 mm long, red. Inflorescence a several-flowered axillary cyme 1–7 mm long. 28 Calyx deeply lobed into ovate sepals ca. 1 mm long. Corolla of 5 free oblanceolate, broad-basedwhite petals 3–5 mm long, reflexed at anthesis. Ovary partly immersed in a disk, 3-celled, withtwo ovules per locule; stigma short. Stamens 5, free, inserted on the outer margin of the disc.Fruit a red, subglobose capsule 6–9 mm long, splitting open along the 3 seams at anthesis.Flowering and fruiting occur throughout the year. Distinguishable by its usually scandent shrub habit; alternate leaves with finely scallopedmargins and a red petiole; axillary clusters of white flowers with the petals reflexed; and a small,red, 3-celled capsule. Specimens:Sykes 401—Cliff face at Matapa chasm. CLUSIACEAECalophyllum neo-ebudicum GuillauminCalophyllum vitiense sensu Sykes non TurrillNiuean Name: tamanuEnglish Name: noneReason for Listing: infrequency of collectionStatus: indigenousSuggestion Action: a search should be made of the Huvalu Forest Conservation area, and any trees found should be recorded along with their GPS coordinates.Indigenous to Niue, ranging from Melanesia towestern Polynesia. It is rare in primary forest on Niue,so far reported only from the Huvalu ForestConservation Area. Sykes noted it to be “ratheruncommon.” It was found during Whistler’s 1997survey, but not during the ones in 2003 and 2013. It ispossible this is an introduced forestry tree, since it wasnot collected on Niue until 1965. The name tamanu issometimes confused with fetau, which more correctlyrefers to the related Calophyllum inophyllum.Elsewhere in Polynesia, where it is much morecommon, the hard, durable, beautiful, straight-grainedwood is milled for commercial timber and is usedlocally for house posts, canoes, and making furnitureand bowls. The fruits are commonly eaten by pigeons.Large tree up to 25 m in height, with glabrousstems 4-angled when young, and a pale yellow latex; Calophyllum neoebudicum (Samoa)bark light brown, with rows of lenticels formingconspicuous longitudinal grooves, the epidermis just below the bark bright red. Leaves simple,alternate; blade coriaceous, mostly elliptic or oblong, 4–17 cm long, attenuate to acute at the 29 base, acute to acuminate at the tip; surfaces glabrous, finely parallel-veined from the midrib;margins subentire; petiole 6–25 mm long. Inflorescence of terminal and upper-axillary, several-flowered racemes 3–11 cm long. Calyx of 4 white, elliptic to orbicular, concave sepals 5–11mm long, in 2 whorls, on a pedicel 8–25 mm long. Corolla of 4 white, obovate to elliptic petals5–11 mm long. Ovary superior, 1-celled, with a linear style and peltate stigma. Stamens many(ca. 150), free, yellow. Fruit a purple to black, ovoid to subglobose drupe 2–3 cm long,containing a single seed enclosed within a bony endocarp. Flowering reported from Septemberto February, fruiting (or fruits persisting) throughout the year, but peaking from January to July. Distinguishable by its large tree habit; fissured bark with a smooth red-orange inner layer;4-angled young stems; yellow sap; opposite, leathery, finely veined leaves; showy white, 4-partedflowers with numerous yellow stamens; and a purplish, subglobose drupe. Specimens:Sykes 399—Primary forest in the Huvalu Conservation Area.Sykes 821a—More or less primary forest in the Huvalu Conservation Area.Sykes 823—More or less primary forest near the Hakupu to Liku road at Ana.Whistler 10874—One tree seen in primary forest north of Huvalu. CONVOLVULACEAEOperculina ventricosa (Bertero) PeterOperculina turpethum sensu Sykes non (L.) S. MansoNiuean Name: noneEnglish Name: noneReason for Listing: infrequency of collectionStatus: indigenousSuggestion Action: a search should be made of coastal areas to see if it has a wider distribution on the island, and any individuals found should be recorded along with their GPS coordinates. Probably a natural arrival to Niue, native to Operculina ventricosa (Samoa)tropical America. It was reported in Guam as early as1887, but is uncommon there now. It probably arrivedby seawater drift of its seeds after a modernintroduction to Micronesia, and now appears to havebecome established in Tonga, Niue, and the CookIslands, at least. It is apparently rare in littoral strandon Niue, where it is known only from a singlespecimen collected by Sykes, who did not see it otherthan where he collected it. No local names or uses arereported. Prostrate or low climbing vine with terete orsometimes ridged, densely tomentose to glabrate stemstwining at the tips; axillary buds densely tomentose;30 sap clear. Leaves simple, alternate; blade cordate, 9–27 cm long, cordate at the base with orwithout an obvious sinus, acuminate or rarely acute at the tip; surfaces glabrate to denselytomentose; margins entire; petiole 4–20 cm long, tomentose to glabrate. Inflorescence acompact, few-flowered axillary cyme on a peduncle 5–20 cm long, bearing several elliptic tonarrowly oval bracts 2–4 cm long with obtuse to acute, usually mucronate tips. Calyx of 5 freeoval to ovate sepals 2.5–4 cm long, glabrate to pubescent, rounded with or without a mucro atthe tip, sometimes acute to subacuminate (especially in Samoa), on a pedicel 2.5–4.5 cm long.Corolla sympetalous, campanulate, 5–9 cm long, yellow turning white at anthesis. Ovarysuperior, 2-celled, with a filiform style bearing a 2-lobed stigma. Stamens 5, epipetalous,included, anthers coiled. Fruit a membranous, translucent, subglobose capsule 2–2.5 cm indiameter, enclosed within the persistent sepals, containing mostly 4, black, glabrous, subglobose,somewhat irregularly angled seeds (–7) 9–12 mm in diameter. Flowering and fruiting probablyoccur throughout the year. Distinguishable by its low-climbing viney habit; rounded or ridged stems; clear sap; few-flowered axillary cymes; white (rarely yellow) bell-shaped corolla 5–9 cm long; coiled anthers;and translucent, 4-seeded capsule. Specimens:Sykes 843—Exposed slope facing the sea at Tautu near Liku. CUCURBITACEAECucumis melo L.Cucumis anguria sensu Yuncker, Sykes; non L.Niuean Name: atiuEnglish Name: island melonReason for Listing: infrequency of modern collectionStatus: Polynesian cultigenSuggestion Action: a search should be made of disturbed areas to see if it persists. Seeds should be collected and stored until a place if found for them to be planted, and GPS coordinates recorded for any individuals found.. An ancient introduction to Niue, native from Cucumis melo (Samoa)tropical eastern Africa to India, but an ancientintroduction eastward across the Pacific all the way tothe Marquesas. The island melon is actually the samespecies as cantaloupe and honeydew melon, but isprobably the original variety (“wild type”) from whichthe larger, edible varieties were developed. Althoughonce commonly cultivated in Polynesia, it came intodisuse with the introduction of better fruits, and is nowvirtually unknown throughout its Polynesian range,and has disappeared from many islands. It is rare in 31 disturbed places on Niue, and is probably disappearing in competition with more aggressive,more recently introduced weeds. Both Yuncker and Sykes misidentified this as a cucumber, butnoted it as being adventive. Yuncker recorded two forms, one yellow, the other yellow withgreen stripes. It was not found during Whistler’s 1997, 2003, or 2013. The plant was used inancient times primarily for food and perhaps for decoration, as it was in ancient Samoa. Herbaceous vine, prostrate and weakly climbing by means of simple axillary tendrils; stemshispid. Leaves simple, alternate; blade ovate to subround, 4–11 cm long, cordate at the base,blunt and apiculate at the tip; surfaces hispid; margins palmately 3–7-lobed or angular, finelytoothed between the lobes; petiole mostly 2–7 cm long, densely hispid. Inflorescence solitary,axillary, with unisexual flowers; plants monoecious. Calyx sympetalous, campanulate, 4–6 mmlong, with 5 shorter filiform lobes, densely pubescent, on a pedicel 5–20 mm long at anthesis.Corolla sympetalous, rotate, yellow, 8–12 mm long, divided about halfway into 5 rounded lobes.Ovary of female flowers inferior, with 3–5 stigmas on a short style; ovary rudimentary in maleflowers. Stamens of male flowers 3, free, reduced to 3 staminodes in female flowers. Fruit afragrant, pale yellow to brown, subglobose, many-seeded berry 3–5 cm long. Flowering andfruiting occur continuously. Distinguishable by its herbaceous vine habit; bristly stems and foliage; alternate leaves withlobed and finely toothed margins; simple axillary tendrils; yellow, separate male and femaleflowers on the same plant; and a small, fragrant, cantaloupe-like fruit. Specimens:Yuncker 9794—Roadside near Alofi.Yuncker 10010—Cultivated in Alofi.Sykes (169895?)—Vaipapahi Experimental Farm. EUPHORBIACEAEAcalypha lanceolata Willd.Acalypha boehmerioides Miq.Niuean Name: noneEnglish Name: noneReason for Listing: infrequency of collectionStatus: Polynesian adventiveSuggestion Action: a search should be made of disturbed areas to see if it persists. If the plant is found, seeds should be collected and stored until a place if found for them to be planted. GPS coordinates should be recorded for any individuals found. An unintentional Polynesian introduction to Niue, indigenous to the Old World tropics. It israre as a weed of disturbed places on Niue. Yuncker reported is as “an occasional weed alongroadsides and in plantations,” but did not list his collection number in his publication. Sykesnoted it as “rare,” incorrectly implying that Yuncker noted the same. Two of the three specimensSykes listed in his publication were misidentified, and are actually Laportea interrupta. It wasnot found during the Whistler visits of 1997, 2003, or 2013. No local names or uses are reported,but it is probably mistakenly sometimes called ogoogo, which more correctly refers to Laporteainterrupta. It may be used in native medicines. 32 Erect annual herb 10–100 cm in height, with Acalypha lanceolata (Samoa)longitudinally grooved, appressed-pubescent stems.Leaves simple, alternate; blade ovate, 1–8 cm long,rounded at the base, acute to acuminate at the tip;surfaces densely pubescent, gland-dotted; marginscoarsely serrate; petiole 0.5–5 cm long.Inflorescence of 1–4 axillary, many-flowered spikes5–30 mm long; flowers unisexual, apetalous, thelower ones female, upper ones male. Femaleflowers subtended by a pubescent, sheathing, cup-shaped bract 1.5–3 mm long with a serrate margin,sessile; styles 3, divided into filiform stigmas. Maleflowers minute, less than 0.5 mm in diameter,clustered; stamens 8. Fruit a pubescent, 3-lobedschizocarp 1–2 mm long, splitting into 3 one-seededsegments. Flowering and fruiting occurringcontinuously. Distinguishable by its herbaceous habit;pubescent, alternate, simple leaves on a petiole 0.5to 5 cm long; inconspicuous, green, unisexual,axillary inflorescences lacking a stalked, terminalflower; and tiny, 3-lobed schizocarp. Specimens:Yuncker 10108—Roadside weed near Makefu.Sykes 101—Plantation near Mutalau.Bischofia javanica Bl.Niuean Name: koka?English Name: noneReason for Listing: infrequency of collectionStatus: Polynesian cultigen (or possibly of modern introduction)Suggestion Action: a search should be made around where it was collected to see if it persists. If the plant is found, seeds should be collected and propagated, and GPS coordinates recorded for any individuals found. Possibly an ancient introduction to Niue, and distributed from India to western Polynesia. Itwas apparently an ancient introduction over some of this range, and probably a modernintroduction to the Society and Cook Islands. It is rare in forest or plantations on Niue, havingbeen collected only once there (by Sykes). Sykes’ informant did not know any name for thisplant, and no other collectors have reported its presence. Elsewhere in Polynesia and Melanesia,a red-brown dye used to color tapa cloth is obtained from its bark. During the 2013 survey, oneinformant noted that he had the tree growing on his plantation, and that in the past its bark wasused a tapa dye. It is strange that this Polynesian cultigen has not been collected more often (if it 33 has been on the island for a long time), and since itis there, it is strange that there is only one report of alocal name. It is called koka and ‘o‘a on nearbyislands.Large tree up to 20 m or more in height, with aspreading crown and glabrous stems; bark flaky,dark brown. Leaves trifoliate, alternate, rachis 7–18cm long; leaflet blades ovate to elliptic, mostly 4–14cm long, acute to rounded at the base, acuminate atthe tip; surfaces glabrous, upper side dark glossygreen, lower side lighter with prominent, aqueoussecondary veins and pit-like domatia in the axils ofthe secondary veins; margins crenate or serrate;petiolules of lateral leaflets 3–10 mm long.Inflorescence an axillary or subterminal, many-flowered panicle 6–20 (–32) cm long; flowersunisexual, trees dioecious. Calyx of 5 suborbicular,pale green to pale yellow sepals 2.5–3.5 mm long,reflexed at anthesis, subtended by a lanceolate bract,on a pedicel up to 1.4 cm long in the fruit. Corollaabsent. Ovary of female flower superior, 3-celled,with 3 elongate, subsessile stigmas; ovary vestigial Bischofia javanica (Samoa)in male flowers. Stamens of male flowers 5, free,absent or reduced to staminodes in female flowers. Fruit a small, red to yellowish brown,subglobose berry 4–10 (–12) mm in diameter, with the stigmas persistent. Flowering in theSouth Pacific has been recorded from September to April, and fruiting in all months exceptFebruary and March, so both possibly occurring throughout the year.Distinguishable by its large tree habit; flaky brown bark; alternate, trifoliate leaves; tinygreen, unisexual flowers in loose panicles on separate male and female trees; and small, reddishbrown spherical fruits.Specimens:Sykes 524—Edge of the upper terrace forest along the Alofi to Paliasi road.Drypetes vitiensis CroizatLitsea magnifolia? sensu Sykes non GillespieNiuean Name: noneEnglish Name: noneReason for Listing: infrequency of collectionStatus: indigenousSuggestion Action: a search should be made of near where it was collected and other areas of native forest to see if it persists in some places. If the plant is found, seeds should be collected and propagated and GPS coordinates recorded. 34 Indigenous to Niue, also found in Fiji, Samoa,and Tonga. It was discovered in Polynesia only inthe last few decades, and is rare in the lower terraceprimary forest of Niue. Sykes, who misidentifiedthis tree as “Litsea magnifolia?,” noted it to be veryrare, and it has not been found by any othercollectors. The tree is so uncommon and so similarto species of Diospyros in leaf characteristics that itis probably unrecognized, unnamed, and little usedthroughout its Polynesian range. No local names oruses have been reported.Medium-sized tree up to 20 m in height, withglabrous, gray-brown stems. Leaves simple,alternate, distichous; blade coriaceous, ovate toelliptic, 3–18 cm long, rounded to oblique at thebase, broadly acute to rounded and retuse at the tip;surfaces glabrous, upper side dark green, lower sidewith a finely reticulate venation superficially similarto that of Diospyros, midrib yellow-green; marginsentire; petiole 1–3 cm long. Inflorescence ofseveral-flowered (female) and several- to many-flowered (male) axillary fascicles; flowers unisexual, Drypetes vitiensis (Samoa)trees dioecious. Calyx of 4 green, suborbicular,concave sepals 3–5 mm long, on a pedicel 6–20 mm long at anthesis. Corolla absent. Ovary offemale flowers superior, tomentose, borne on a yellow disc, with a large, sessile, peltate stigma;ovary absent in male flowers. Stamens of male flowers many (ca. 10–16), exserted, absent infemale flowers. Fruit an orange to red, 1-seeded, ovoid to ellipsoid drupe 1.8–2.7 cm long,containing a single large seed. Flowering in the South Pacific reported from November,February, and March, fruiting from May to November, but both probably occurring throughoutthe year.Distinguishable by its medium-sized tree habit; alternate leaves finely net-veined on thelower surface; axillary clusters of tiny green, apetalous, unisexual flowers borne on separate maleand female trees; and red to orange, ovoid drupe.Specimens:Sykes 847—Lower terrace forest along the Mutalau to Uluvehi track. FABACEAECaesalpinia major (Medik.) Dandy & ExellCaesalpinia bonduc sensu Yuncker non (L.) Roxb.Niuean Name: talamoa (talamoa fotofoto?, talatalamoa?)English Name: noneReason for Listing: infrequency of collection 35 Status: indigenousSuggestion Action: a search should be made of where it has already been found, and of coastal areas to see if other patches of it exist. GPS coordinates should be recorded for any individuals found.Indigenous to Niue, pantropic in distribution. Itis rare in coastal areas of Niue, where it sometimesforms thorny thickets. Yuncker noted it to be“frequent in thickets,” but Sykes noted it being “veryrare and apparently confined to a few patches offernland scrub in the southern part of the island.” Itwas not found during Whistler’s 1997, 2003, or 2013visits. It can most easily be distinguished from thesimilar Caesalpinia bonduc by its subulate stipulesrather than pinnate, leaf-like ones.Scandent shrub or liana, with prickly stemsand leaves and finely tomentose young stems;stipules subulate, often split into 2 or 3 parts,caducous. Leaves bipinnately compound, alternate;rachis up 50–75 cm long, thorny, somewhat swollenat the base, pinnae mostly in 6 or 7 pairs, mostly 10–22 cm long, thorny; leaflets in (3–) 6 or 7 pairs;leaflet blades elliptic, mostly 3–7 cm long, roundedto narrowly subcordate at the base, acute to roundedand mucronulate at the tip; upper surface glabrous,lower side finely pubescent to glabrous; margins Caesalpinia major (Samoa)entire; stalks of leaflets swollen, 2–3 mm long.Inflorescence of many-flowered axillary racemes or further branched into panicles, up to 30 cmor more in length, sometimes branching at the base, with a finely pubescent rachis; flowersfunctionally unisexual, plants monoecious. Calyx of 5 free, narrowly oblong sepals 1–1.4 mmlong, brown-pubescent on the outside, reflexed at anthesis, on a pedicel 1.5–1.8 cm long,subtended by a acuminate-tipped bract up to 5 mm long. Corolla of 5 free, oblong, yellow,petals, 6–10 mm long, one shorter than the others and marked with brown. Ovary of femaleflowers superior, 1-celled, with a simple style; vestigial in male flowers. Stamens of maleflowers 10, free; sterile in female flowers. Fruit a prickly oblong pod 5–13 cm long, containing2–4 glossy light or dark gray (yellow to brownish in Fiji), ovoid to irregularly subglobose seeds1.3–2 cm in diameter. Flowering and fruiting occur throughout the year.Distinguishable by its scrambling habit; linear stipules; thorny stems; thorny, bipinnatelycompound leaves; small yellow flowers in axillary racemes or panicles; one petal shorter thanthe others and marked with brown; and gray marble-like seeds in a spiny pod.Specimens:Yuncker 9888—Thicket three miles south of Alofi.Yuncker 10224—Thicket near Avatele.Yuncker 10233—Thicket near Hakupu. 36 Sykes 578—In roadside thicket between Vaiea and Avatele.Sykes 1440—Roadside scrub halfway between Liku and Hakupu.Canavalia rosea (Sw.)DC.Canavalia maritima (Aubl.) Urb.Canavalia turgida sensu Yuncker; non Grah. ex A. GrayNiuean Name: fetekaEnglish Name: noneReason for Listing: infrequency of collectionStatus: indigenousSuggestion Action: A search should be made of where it has already been found and other places of suitable habitat. GPS coordinates recorded for any individuals found, and seeds collected.Probably indigenous to Niue, or perhaps amodern arrival, pantropic in distribution. It isuncommon in inland clearings on Niue, butelsewhere its natural habitat is sandy beaches, whereis sprawls along the ground. Sykes believed it wasintroduced to Niue, but its collection there (1907)make its provenance on Niue problematical, so fornow it is probably best considered to be native. Itwas found during Whistler’s 1997 visit, but notduring the ones in 2003 and 2013. It is most easilydistinguished from Canavalia rosea in being aprostrate vine with notched leaf tips rather than aclimber with the leaf tips acute. No local uses arereported, and it is name, feseka, usually refers toCanavalia sericea, the common littoral species onNiue.Prostrate vine, sometimes weakly climbing,with glabrous stems. Leaves trifoliate, alternate;leaflet blades elliptic to suborbicular, 5–16 cm long,broadly acute to subround at the base, retuse torounded at the tip; surfaces glabrous; margins entire; Canavalia rosea (Samoa)rachis 9–16 cm long. Inflorescence of several-flowered axillary racemes 5–18 cm or more in length. Calyx synsepalous, campanulate, 8–12mm long; shallowly and unequally lobed; pedicel 1–3 long. Corolla papilionaceous, pink tomagenta, 2–2.8 cm long, banner obcordate, wings oblong. Ovary superior, 1-celled, with asimple style. Stamens 10, diadelphous, enclosed within the keel. Fruit a flattened woody pod9–14 cm long and 2–2.8 cm wide, each valve with a ridge running along the edge 1.5–3 mm fromthe seam edge; seeds bean-like, dark, 1.2–1.6 cm long. Flowering and fruiting occurcontinuously. 37 Distinguishable by its prostrate vine habit; glabrous trifoliate leaves with the tips usuallynotched; axillary racemes of pink to magenta, butterfly-like flowers; and flattened woody pods2–8 cm wide with a extra an extra ridge 1.5–3 mm from the seam edge. Specimens:Smith 74—Without further locality (1901).Sykes 525—Waste place at Paliati.Sykes 1017—Near a path in fernland near Hinoki the Paliati area.Sykes 1157—Passionfruit plantation at Liku.Sykes 1284—Cleared area on terrace edge near Halagigie Point.Whistler 10800—Near the coast at the Anato Forest Area, not seen elsewhere.Desmodium heterocarpon (L.) DC.Niuean Name: noneEnglish Name: noneReason for Listing: infrequency of collectionStatus: Polynesian adventiveSuggestion Action: a search should be made of where it has already been found, and in other disturbed areas. GPS coordinates should be recorded for any individuals found, and seeds collected. A Polynesian introduction to Niue, ranging from Desmodium heterocarpon (Palau)Southeast Asia to Hawai‘i. It is rare in sunnydisturbed areas on Niue. It was probably a commonweed prior to the European era, but is nowuncommon due to competition with more aggressive,more recently introduced weeds. Sykes thought thissubshrub, which he found only in one remotelocality, might be a recent introduction to Niue. Itwas not found during Whistler’s 1997, 2003, or 2013visits. It is virtually unknown to Niueans, and nolocal names or uses are reported. The Niueanpopulation belongs to var. strigosum V. Meeuw.The specific name is sometimes incorrectly spelledheterocarpum. Erect subshrub up to 1 m in height withappressed-pubescent stems and lanceolate, striate,attenuate-tipped stipules up to 5 mm long. Leavestrifoliate, alternate; rachis 1–3 cm long, stipellate atthe tip; leaflet blades mostly obovate, 1.8–6 cm long(the terminal one the largest), rounded to subcordateat the base, emarginate to rounded at the tip; uppersurface glabrous, lower appressed-pubescent, lighterin color; petiolule 1–3 mm long, appressedpubescent. Inflorescence a terminal and sometimes 38 upper axillary, many-flowered raceme mostly 3–8 cm long. Calyx synsepalous, campanulate,1.5–2 mm long, divided about half way into 5 deltoid lobes, on a pedicel 4–6 mm long. Corollapapilionaceous, 4.5–6 mm long, pink to purple, banner suborbicular, notched at the tip, wingsnarrowly oblong. Ovary superior, 1-celled; style simple. Stamens 10, diadelphous, enclosed bythe keel. Fruit a straight, segmented legume (–0.7) 1.4–2.5 mm long, notched on one margininto 2–9 dark brown segments covered with hooked hairs. Flowering and fruiting occurcontinuously. Distinguishable by its subshrub habit; alternate, trifoliate leaves with obovate leafletsnotched at the tip; racemes of purple to pink, papilionaceous flowers; and hairy, dark brownlegumes notched along one edge into 2–9 segments. Specimens:Sykes 541—Taro plantation at Tukuofe near Tafalomahina.Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers.Niuean Name: kohuhuEnglish Name: noneReason for Listing: infrequency of modern collectionStatus: Polynesian cultigenSuggestion Action: a search should be made of disturbed areas and coastal areas. If found, the GPS locations should be noted and seeds collected. A Polynesian introduction to Niue, distributed Tephrosia purpurea (Tonga)from southern Africa to eastern Polynesia (Hawai‘i),but probably an ancient introduction to the easternpart of its range, including all of Polynesia. It wasprobably once cultivated or casually so, but has sincefallen into disuse and has become rare on Niue (andover most of its Polynesian distribution). Yunckernoted it as “frequent in waste areas, along roadsides,etc.” Sykes reported it as being fairly common weedof plantations, particularly those in open parts of thebasin. It was not found during any of Whistler’svisits. The principal use of the plant was forstupefying fish, a practice reported from all the higharchipelagoes of tropical Polynesia and westward toat least India. Small shrub up to 1 m in height, with finelypubescent stems and linear stipules. Leaves odd-pinnately compound, alternate; rachis mostly 4–8 cmlong; leaflets 7–13, opposite, leaflet bladesoblanceolate to obovate, 1–3.5 cm long, acute at thebase, notched at the tip, surfaces silky-pubescent;margins entire; petiolules 1–2 mm long. 39 Inflorescence of several-flowered racemes up to 20 cm long, terminal or borne opposite a leaf.Calyx synsepalous, campanulate, 4–5 mm long, divided about halfway into 5 unequal lobes,pubescent, on a pedicel mostly 4–8 mm long. Corolla papilionaceous, 6–9 mm long, thestandard white or with reddish purple to pink within. Ovary superior, style with an unlobedstigma. Stamens diadelphous, 10. Fruit a brown to straw-colored, straight, narrow pod 3–5 cmlong that splits open into two twisted valves when dry to release the 5–9 dark, oblong seeds ca. 3mm long. Flowering and fruiting reported from February to July. Distinguishable by its small shrubby habit; alternate, pinnately compound leaves; 7–13pairs of leaflets up to 3 cm long and notched at the tip; racemes of white to pink, “butterfly”flowers; and narrow, papery pods that twist apart at maturity to release the dark oblong seeds. Specimens:Yuncker 9671—Old clearing two miles south of Alofi.Yuncker 9979—Weed in dooryard at Alofi.Sykes 172—Old taro plantation at Kavaka.Sykes 442—Abandoned plantation near Namoui.Sykes 574—Plantation weed near Vaiea.Sykes 671—Open area in old plantation near Fatiau in the Vaiea area.Sykes 1158—Passionfruit plantation at Liku.Krauss 1590—Alofi.Uraria lagopodoides (L.) Desv.Uraria lagopodioides (L.) Desv. (a common misspelling)Niuean Name: uluhega?English Name: noneReason for Listing: infrequency of collectionStatus: Polynesian adventiveSuggestion Action: a search should be made of where it was found, and other disturbed areas. If found, the GPS locations should be noted and seeds collected. A Polynesian introduction to Niue, native to Uraria lagopodoides (Tonga)southern Asia. It is uncommon in disturbed placeson Niue, where it was probably accidentallyintroduced in ancient times. It was probably once acommon weed, but has now nearly disappeared sinceit cannot compete with the aggressive, more recentlyintroduced weeds. Yuncker noted it as being“occasional in waste areas and clearings.” Sykesreported it to be occasional but locally commonwhere it is found. It was not found during Whistler’sthree visits. It is virtually unknown to Niueans, andno uses or local names have been reported. 40 Prostrate or suberect subshrub with pubescent stems up to 60 cm long, and deltoid,acuminate-tipped stipules ca. 5 mm long. Leaves trifoliate, alternate; rachis 1–2.5 cm long,pubescent, with a swollen base; leaflet blades suborbicular to ovate or elliptic, 1–5.5 cm long,rounded at the base, obtuse to notched at the tip; upper surface glabrous, veins of lower surfacepubescent; margins entire; petiolules 1–2 mm long, with a linear stipel ca. 1 mm long.Inflorescence a dense, many-flowered, cylindrical, terminal raceme 2.5–5.5 cm long, the flowerssubtended by an ovate, densely hirsute bracteole 5–7 mm long. Calyx divided to near the baseinto 5 unequal, densely hirsute linear lobes, the longest ones 5–7 mm long, subsessile. Corollapapilionaceous, lavender and white; banner orbicular, ca. 3 mm long; wings falcate-oblong,adhering to the keel, ca. 3 mm long; keel enclosing the stamens. Ovary superior, 1-celled, stylefiliform with a capitate stigma. Stamens 10, diadelphous, enclosed within the keel. Fruit ablack, indehiscent, 1-seeded ovoid legume 2.5–3.5 mm long. Flowering and fruiting occurcontinuously. Distinguishable by its low-growing subshrub habit; pubescent stems; trifoliate leaves;lavender flowers borne in dense hairy raceme; and a one-seeded pod. Specimens:Yuncker 9892—Waste ground two miles south of Alofi.Yuncker 10203—Waste ground near Hikutavaki.Sykes 449—Pasture of young coconut grove at Vaipapahi Farm.Sykes 927—In pasture at Vaiea Farm. LAMIACEAELeucas decemdentata (Forst. f.) Sm.Leucas flaccida R. Br.Niuean Name: pupu eloEnglish Name: noneReason for Listing: infrequency of moderncollectionStatus: Polynesian adventiveSuggestion Action: a search should be made of where it was found, and other disturbed areas. GPS coordinates should be recorded for any individuals found, seeds collected. Indigenous or a Polynesian introduction to Niue, Leucas decemdentata (Tonga)ranging from tropical Asia to the Society Islands. Itwas probably weedy in pre-European times but isnow uncommon apparently because of its inability tocompete with more-recently introduced weeds. It isuncommon or rare in disturbed places, such asplantations. Yuncker, who collected it once, noted itas being found “along roadsides and in waste areas.”Sykes, who collected it four times, noted it to be 41 “widely scattered, but usually uncommon in plantations, waste places, and on tracks though openforest.” It was not found during Whistler’s 1997, 2003, or 2013 visits. No uses are reported, butit may be used as a medicinal plant. Herb up to 40 cm or more in height, with weak, pubescent, 4-angled stems. Leaves simple,alternate; blade ovate, 2.5–3.5 cm long, acute to rounded and slightly oblique at the base, broadlyacute at the tip; surfaces light green, finely pubescent; margins crenate; petiole 9–11 mm long.Inflorescence of 5–8-flowered axillary verticils borne at the axils. Calyx campanulate, 4.5–6mm long, pubescent, 10-ribbed, ribs extending into 10 linear teeth on top, on a pedicel 1–2 mmlong. Corolla sympetalous, bilabiate, white, tube ca. 7 mm long, lower lip reflexed, pubescent,3–4 mm long, lower lip 6–7 mm long, 3-lobed at the tip with an additional pair of lateral lobes.Ovary superior, deeply 4-lobed; style 2-lobed at the tip. Stamens 4, epipetalous, enclosedwithin the lower lip. Fruit comprising 4 dark, oblong nutlets ca. 1.5 mm long, enclosed withinand falling free of the membranous calyx. Flowering and fruiting occur continuously. Distinguishable by its herbaceous habit; square (in cross-section) stems; opposite, toothed,ovate leaves; axillary whorls of flowers; white, 2-lipped corolla; and fruit of 4-nutlets enclosedwithin the membranous, 10-toothed calyx. Specimens:Yuncker 10070—Roadside weed 2 miles east of Alofi.Sykes 300—Old clearing among taller vegetation near Namoui.Sykes 679—Along sea track in coastal forest near Vaitafe.Sykes 733—Waste place north of Alofi.Sykes 875—In plantation near Makefu. MALVACEAEHibiscus abelmoschus LNiuean Name: fou igoEnglish Name: noneReason for Listing: infrequency of moderncollectionStatus: indigenousSuggestion Action: a search should be made in disturbed areas where it may be found, and plants found should have their seeds collected and distributed for planting (it can be an attractive ornamental). A Polynesian introduction to Niue, probably Hibiscus abelmoschus (Rotuma)native to tropical Asia. It is uncommon on Niue indisturbed places and waste areas. It is not clear ifthis plant was an intentional introduction for itsshowy flowers, or was accidental. Yuncker, whocollected it twice, described it as “frequent,” butSykes, who collected it four times, noted it as“rather uncommon.” It was not found during 42 Whistler’s three most recent visits. No uses are reported, but perhaps it was once used as anornamental. Shrub up to 1.5 m in height, with sparsely or sometimes densely pubescent stems; stipuleslinear, up to 6 mm long. Leaves simple, alternate; blade suborbicular, deeply or sometimesshallowly 3- or sometimes 5-lobed, 6–20 cm long and nearly as wide, subcordate to subhastate atthe base, mostly shortly acuminate at the tip; surfaces mostly sparsely pubescent, especially onthe veins; margins toothed; petiole 5–20 cm long. Inflorescence of solitary, axillary flowersCalyx spathaceous, ca. 2.5 cm long, 5-dentate at the tip, split along one side, adnate to thecorolla and falling off with it, and subtended by an epicalyx of 7–10 linear lobes 5–18 mm long;petiole 4–13 cm long in fruit. Corolla of 5 unequally sided, obovate petals ca. 5–7 cm long,strongly veined on the outer surface, lemon yellow with purple at the base. Ovary superior, witha filamentous style surrounded by the staminal tube, stigma purple, 5-lobed. Stamens many,monadelphous, fused to form a staminal tube around the ovary and style. Fruit a many-seeded,pubescent, ovoid capsule 5–7 cm long, splitting open by 5 valves. Flowering and fruiting occurcontinuously. Distinguishable by its shrub habit; large, alternate, usually deeply lobed leaves; flowerssolitary in the axils; showy corolla of 5 lemon-yellow petals purple at the base; stamens unitedinto a tube around the 5-lobed style; and a large, hairy, ovoid capsule. Specimens:Jensen 48—Without further locality.Yuncker 9636—Clearing six miles east of Alofi.Yuncker 10162—Wasteland near Fonukula plantation.Sykes 168—In grassy area in coconut plantation at Vaiea.Sykes 638—Fernland near Fetuna.Sykes 925—Cleared fernland and rough pasture at Vaiea.Sykes 957—Old pasture at Vaiola.Sida samoensis RechingerNiuean Name: mōtofu totoloEnglish Name: noneReason for Listing: infrequency of moderncollectionStatus: Polynesian adventive or possibly indigenousSuggestion Action: a search should be made in disturbed areas where it may be found and where it has been found, and seeds should be collected from any plants found. GPS coordinates should be recorded for any individuals found. A Polynesian introduction to Niue, or perhaps Sida samoensis (Tonga)indigenous, apparently native to Fiji or somewherein western Polynesia or eastern Melanesia. This 43 plant is a mystery: although its limited regional distribution would indicate a native status, it isvirtually never found in undisturbed habitats, indicating a Polynesian introduction. It is nowuncommon to rare in disturbed places on Niue. It was probably more common before theEuropean era, before more aggressive weeds arrived on the island. Yuncker noted it as a“roadside and garden weed.” Sykes noted it as “a locally fairly common weed of waste placesand plantations…it seems to be commonest in the Alofi and Fonukula areas.” It was not foundduring Whistler’s 1997, 2003, and 2013 visits. No uses have been reported. Prostrate subshrub, much-branched, with finely stellate-pubescent stems up to 35 cm long,and equal, filiform, stipules 1–3 mm long. Leaves simple, alternate; blade orbicular to broadlyovate, 0.5–2.5 cm long, cuneate to rounded at the base, acute to obtuse at the tip; lower surfacedensely stellate-pubescent; margins serrate; petiole 3–5 mm long. Inflorescence of solitary,axillary and subterminal flowers. Calyx cup-shaped, 3.5–5 mm long, deeply divided into 5broadly ovate, apiculate, strongly ribbed lobes, on thin pedicel 1–2 cm long. Corolla rotate, with5 free, pale orange, obovate, unequally bilobed petals ca. 7–9 mm long. Ovary superior, usually1-celled, stigma 5-lobed. Stamens many, monadelphous. Fruit a flattened-globose schizocarp3–4.5 mm in diameter, breaking up at maturity into 5 mericarps, each with a pair of terminalawns ca. 1.5 mm long. Flowering and fruiting occur continuously. Distinguishable by its prostrate, somewhat woody herb habit; small, alternate leaves withtoothed margins; pale orange, 5-parted, monadelphous flowers lacking bracts below the calyx;and a rotate schizocarp that splits into 5 segments (mericarps), each bearing a pair of awns. Specimens:Yuncker 10034—Roadside weed near Alofi.Sykes 139—Waste ground at Fonuakula Farm.Sykes 616—Open short turf in coconut plantation at Lalole.Sykes 1189—Among rocks on track on lower terrace.Urena lobata L.Niuean Name: mōtipoEnglish Name: noneReason for Listing: infrequency of modern collectionStatus: Polynesian adventiveSuggestion Action: a search should be made in disturbed areas where it may be found and where it has been found, and plants found should have their seeds collected. GPS coordinates should be recorded for any individuals found. A Polynesian introduction to Niue, probably native to Asia, but now widespread indistribution. It is rare on Niue as a weed of disturbed places, such as roadsides and pastures. Itwas probably common as a weed in ancient times, but has become drastically reduced infrequency of occurrence, apparently because it cannot compete well with the numerous weedsintroduced since the beginning of the European era. Yuncker noted it as a “frequent weed inclearings and waste areas.” Sykes noted it to be locally abundant in inland places, but it was notfound during Whistler’s 1997, 2003, or 2013 visits. No local uses are reported. 44 Erect subshrub up to 2 m in height, with Urena lobata (Samoa)stellate-pubescent stems often tinged purple; stipuleslanceolate, 1–3 mm long, caducous. Leaves simple,alternate; blade ovate to elliptic, 2–10 cm long,round to subcordate at the base, acute at the tip;surfaces sparsely pubescent with stellate and simplehairs, especially on the veins; margins irregularlytoothed to shallowly 3–7-lobed or -angled; petiole 2–10 cm long, densely stellate pubescent.Inflorescence of solitary, axillary flowers. Calyxcup-shaped, 4–6 mm long, deeply divided into 5ovate sepals subtended by an involucre divided tonear base into 5 bracts 4–7 mm long, on a pedicel 2–4 mm long. Corolla rotate, 1.2–2 cm long, dividedto near base into 5 pink, obovate petals rounded atthe tip. Ovary superior, 5-celled, with a 10-branched stigma on a drooping style. Stamensnumerous, monadelphous. Fruit a subgloboseschizocarp 8–12 mm across, splitting at maturity into5 pubescent, 1-seeded subglobose mericarps 2.5–3.5mm long, covered with spines with tiny hooks at theapex. Flowering and fruiting occur continuously. Distinguishable by its subshrub habit; stellatepubescence; alternate leaves; pink 5-lobed flowers;numerous stamens fused into a stamina tube; droopingstyle; and a subglobose, bur-like fruit. Specimens:Yuncker 10048—Thicket near the seas north of Alofi.Sykes 112—Abandoned plantation at Tauli near Lakepa.Sykes 436—Abandoned plantation near Namoui. MENISPERMACEAEPachygone cf. vitiense DielsNiuean Name: noneEnglish Name: noneReason for Listing: infrequency of collectionStatus: indigenousSuggestion Action: a search should be made in areas where it has been and may be found to determine its frequency and distribution, and GPS coordinates recorded for any individuals found. Indigenous to Niue, also occurring Fiji, Tonga, the Cook Islands (Miti‘aro), Makatea, andthe Society Islands (Borabora and Mo‘orea). Smith noted only its presence in Tonga and Fiji, ashe did not see more recent collections of this plant elsewhere. It is rare in coastal forest on Niue,reported from the north end and east side of the island (once each). Sykes noted that he found 45 only one individual of this. It was found during Whistler’s 1997 visit, but not during the ones in2003 and 2013. No local names or uses are reported. The species name is only tentative, sinceno fertile material has been collected on the island.Liana, high climbing, with striate, glabrous tofinely pubescent young stems. Leaves simple,alternate; blade coriaceous, ovate to suborbicular(rarely elliptic), (3–) 5–14 cm long, truncate tosubcordate at the base, round to acute, andapiculate at the tip; surfaces glabrous, 3–5-veinedfrom near the base; margins entire; petiole 1–4 cmlong, thickened and sometimes bent distally.Inflorescence of axillary, several- to many-flowered panicles up to 11 cm long, with unisexualflowers; dioecious. Calyx (of male flowers, atleast) of 9 free, lanceolate to ovate sepals ca. 1.5 (–2.5) mm long, three in the outer whorl and 6 in theinner whorl, on a filamentous pedicel 1–10 mmlong. Corolla of 6 free, obovate-spathulate, palegreen petals ca. 1 mm long. Ovary of femaleflowers superior, of 3 carpels; style reflexed,simple; carpels reduced to pistillodes in maleflowers. Stamens of male flowers 6, epipetalous;reduced to staminodes in the female flowers.Fruit comprising 3 red, ovoid druplets 1.4–1.7 cm Pachygone cf. vitiense (Tonga)long. Flowering reported from November toMarch, fruiting in February at least, but bothprobably longer in duration and possibly throughoutthe year.Distinguishable by its liana habit; coriaceous, alternate, mostly hear-shaped leaves oftenwith a bent petiole; thin axillary panicles of tiny green flowers; and fruit consisting of threedrupelets.Specimens:Sykes 864—Clearing in the lower terrace forest along the Mutalau to Uluvehi track.Whistler 10757—One seen in coastal forest east of Liku. MYRTACEAESyzygium neurocalyx (A. Gray) Christoph.Eugenia neurocalyx A. GrayNiuean Name: koliEnglish Name: noneReason for Listing: probably no longer found on the islandStatus: Polynesian cultigen 46 Suggestion Action: nothing; probably no longer found on Niue, apparently lost from cultivationbecause it was no longer needed for its fragrant fruits.Native to Fiji, but was probably an ancientintroduction to Samoa, Tonga, Futuna, ‘Uvea, andapparently Niue. It was cultivated around housesand in plantations on Niue, but apparently fell intodisuse and disappeared before it was even collectedby any botanists. Its presence on the island isevidenced by an entry from a 1907 dictionary” “koli,name of a shrub.” In Samoa, its fragrant fruit wassuspended on a string worn around the neck, andwas used to scent coconut oil in Fiji, Tonga, andSamoa. Seemann (1865–1873) noted that “Thenatives wear the whole fruit, or part of it, aroundtheir neck, suspended on a string, for the sake of thedelicious odour, and also scent with it the cocoa-nutoil used for greasing their naked bodies.”Small tree up to 4 m (9 m in Fiji) in height,with terete, glabrous stems. Leaves simple,opposite; blade lanceolate to long-elliptic, 12–30 cmlong, rounded to subcordate at the base, rounded toacute at the tip; surfaces glabrous, glossy above,lighter, dull, and glandular-punctate below; margins Syzygium neurocalyx (Tonga)entire; petiole 1–7 mm long. Inflorescence aterminal, short, several-flowered capitate panicle. Calyx campanulate to rotate, 1.5–2 cm long,strongly 10–14-ribbed, notched into round or oblong, red- or green-tinged with red calyx lobesup to 1 cm long; sessile. Corolla of 4 white, suborbicular petals 8–15 mm long. Ovary inferior,with a simple style 3–5 cm long. Stamens many (several hundred), free, yellow, the filaments upto 2.5 cm long. Fruit a fragrant, subglobose, shallowly angled, red to purple berry up to 7.5 cmlong. Flowering reported in the South Pacific from January to August, fruits from May toDecember.Distinguishable by its small tree habit; large, opposite, shortly-stalked leaves; large flowersin short, terminal clusters; numerous spreading yellow stamens; and large red to purple,shallowly angled berry.Specimens: (none) NYCTAGINACEAEBoerhavia acutifolia (Choisy) J.W. Moore Boerhavia diffusa of some authors, non L.Niuean Name: kātuleEnglish Name: noneReason for Listing: infrequency of modern collectionStatus: Polynesian adventive 47 Suggestion Action: a search should be made in areas disturbed areas where it is most likely to befound, and GPS coordinates recorded for any individuals found.Probably an unintentional Polynesianintroduction to Niue, perhaps native to the Indo-Malayan region, but apparently an ancientintroduction eastward to the Marquesas. It isuncommon on Niue in disturbed areas such as oldplantations and dooryards. Both Yuncker (whocollected it five times) and Sykes (who collected ittwice) noted this to be a common plantation weed,but it was not found during Whistler’s 1997 and2003 visits, and only once during the 2013 survey.Sykes noted that it is particularly common in themore open areas of the central basin. The root isedible in times of famine and it may have been usedfor this.Herb, prostrate or low growing, with glabrousor pubescent, striate stems radiating from thethickened taproot. Leaves simple, opposite; bladenarrowly lanceolate to oblong or ovate, mostly 1–4cm long, acute to cordate at the base, acute at the tip;surfaces glabrous, lower surface often purple;margins undulate; petiole 3–15 mm long. Boerhavia acutifolia (Samoa)Inflorescence of several-flowered, axillary cymes,or nearly umbellate, on a peduncle 1–10 cm long.Calyx (perianth) petaloid, campanulate, white topink, 2–3 mm long, shallowly 5-lobed, on a pedicel 0–2 mm long. Corolla absent. Ovarysuperior, with a filamentous style and capitate or disc-shaped stigma. Stamens 2–4, free,exserted. Fruit a sticky, club-shaped to ellipsoid anthocarp 3–4 mm long, 5-ribbed, 1-seeded.Flowering and fruiting occur continuously.Distinguishable by its prostrate herb habit; striate stems; opposite leaves often purple on thelower surface; undulate leaf margins; tiny flowers with a pink, petaloid calyx and no corolla; anda tiny, club-shaped or ellipsoid fruit with sticky ribs.Specimens:Yuncker 9688—Waste ground near Mutalau.Yuncker 9689—Waste ground near Mutalau.Yuncker 9690—Waste ground near Mutalau. (Three in same area same day)Yuncker 10119—Dooryard weed near Makefu.Yuncker 10155—Open rocky cliff east of Alofi.Sykes 484 (169754)—Weed in plantation at Toa near Vailoa.Sykes 148—Taro plantation at Fonuakula Farm.Sykes 484—Plantation at Toa near Vaiola.Whistler 12994—Uncommon along the trail to the Talava Arches. 48
