Contributions of Clarence Y.C. Wong and Current Updates on the Flora of Romonum Island, Chuuk Lagoon, Federated States of Micronesia

Abstract

Recent field work on Romonum (Ulalu) Island, a small volcanic island in Chuuk Lagoon, Federated States of Micronesia, found 45 new accounts of vascular plants. Fosberg, Sachet and Oliver’s (1979, 1982, 1987) geographical checklists listed only 30 species for the island, although in 1965, Stone (1967) found 124 species of vascular plants there. This study acknowledges the work of Clarence Y. C. Wong, who in 1947 collected 142 species of vascular plants and discusses the botanic history of Romonum Island.  For unexplained reasons, his work has been largely ignored.  Much remains to be discovered in defining the biotic diversity of the Pacific Islands.  Finally, this study suggests that digital images may be a very appropriate tool for documenting the diversity of the islands.