Flora of Pacific

Epipremnum aureum is a species in the arum family Araceae, native to Mo'orea in the Society Islands of French Polynesia. The species is a popular houseplant in temperate regions, but has also become naturalised in tropical and sub-tropical forests worldwide, including northern South Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, Indian subcontinent, the Pacific Islands and the West Indies, where it has caused severe ecological damage in some cases. The plant has a number of common names including golden pothos, Ceylon creeper, hunter's robe, ivy arum, silver vine, Solomon Islands ivy, and taro vine. It

Amborella is a monotypic genus of understory shrubs or small trees endemic to the main island, Grande Terre, of New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific Ocean. The genus is the only member of the family Amborellaceae and the order Amborellales and contains a single species, Amborella trichopoda. Amborella is of great interest to plant systematists because molecular phylogenetic analyses consistently place it as the sister group to all other flowering plants; as a result, it is critical for understanding angiosperm evolution. It is understood to be the most basal extant flowering plant, and is

Araucaria columnaris, the coral reef araucaria, Cook pine (or Cook's pine), New Caledonia pine, Cook araucaria, or columnar araucaria, is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae.

Sophora toromiro, commonly known as toromiro, is a species of flowering tree in the legume family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to Easter Island. Sophora toromiro is extinct in the wild due to overharvesting and overgrazing, but some individuals survive in botanical and private collections. It holds significant cultural importance for the Rapa Nui people, known for its statues, ceremonial objects, and other tools made from the wood. The species serves as proof that human intervention of a natural environment can drastically change the composition of native flora negatively, even to the point of

Austrotaxus spicata, the New Caledonia yew or southern yew, is a species of yew, the sole species in the genus Austrotaxus. It is related to the other yews in the genera Taxus and Pseudotaxus. It is endemic to New Caledonia, occurring in the central and northern parts of the island at 300-1,350 m altitude. It is a dioecious coniferous shrub or small tree, reaching 5–20 m (rarely 25 m) tall with reddish bark. The leaves are lanceolate, flat, 8–12 cm long (up to 17 cm on young plants) and 4 mm broad, dark green above, with two paler green stomatal bands below; they are arranged spirally on the

Metrosideros polymorpha, the ʻōhiʻa lehua, is a species of flowering evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that is endemic to the six largest islands of Hawaiʻi. It is a member of the diverse Metrosideros genus, which are widespread over the southwest Pacific. It is the state tree of Hawaiʻi. It is a highly variable tree, being 20–25 m (66–82 ft) tall in favorable situations, and a much smaller prostrate shrub when growing in boggy soils or directly on basalt. It produces a brilliant display of flowers, made up of a mass of stamens, which can range from fiery red to yellow. Many

Argyroxiphium is a small genus of plants in the family Asteraceae. Its members are known by the common names silversword or greensword due to their long, narrow leaves and the silvery hairs on some species. The silverswords belong to a larger radiation of over 30 species, including the physically different genera Dubautia and Wilkesia. This grouping is often referred to as the silversword alliance. Botanist P. H. Raven referred to this radiation as "the best example of adaptive radiation in plants".

Araucaria biramulata, the biramule araucaria, or piggyback araucaria, is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is found only in New Caledonia on the main island of Grande Terre. Araucaria biramulata is a medium-large tree reaching 30 meters in height. As with several other endemic New Caledonian araucaria species, it is threatened by habitat loss with a fragmented wild population of less than 10,000 mature trees, and ongoing decline in remaining populations, with the main threats being forest fires and mining activities. Piggyback araucaria gets its common name from the unusual

Degeneria is a genus of flowering plants endemic to Fiji. It is the only genus in the family Degeneriaceae. The APG IV system of 2016 (unchanged from the APG system of 1998, the APG II system of 2003 and the APG III system of 2009), recognizes this family, and assigns it to the order Magnoliales in the clade magnoliids. Degeneria was named after Otto Degener, who first found D. vitiensis in 1942. Classical studies of native stands of Degeneria from Vanua Levu and Viti Levu islands were conducted more than 30 years ago. A 45-cent stamp issued in 1988 depicted a flowering branch of Degeneria

Araucaria montana, the mountain araucaria, is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is found only in New Caledonia. Araucaria montana is the most widely distributed of New Caledonia's native Araucaria species, and is found throughout the main island of Grande Terre, as well as a small population on Île d'Art. However it is still considered vulnerable due to fragmentation of populations and degradation of habitat, due mainly to mining activities. Height of mature trees can vary from 10 to 40 meters. A population genetic study suggested that the less common A. laubenfelsii may

Araucaria luxurians is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is known by the common names Sapin de Noël and Coast araucaria. It is endemic to New Caledonia, where it grows in several small subpopulations. It grows in ultramafic soils in humid forests and on cliffs and slopes. It is threatened by habitat loss and none of the subpopulations are in protected areas. This species is a tree growing up to 40 meters tall. Mature specimens may have trunks 70 centimeters in diameter. It is conical or pyramidal in form. The bark peels and releases a red exudate. The leaves are variable in

Oncotheca is a genus of tree endemic to New Caledonia. There are two species, Oncotheca balansae and Oncotheca humboldtiana. Oncotheca is the sole genus of the Oncothecaceae, which is one of three families of flowering plants endemic to New Caledonia. Its placement has been enigmatic for a long time, but a recent phylogenetic analysis based on 73 plastid genes found it to be sister to Icacinaceae. It is now placed in the order Icacinales.

Wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis) is a species of tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It is the only species of Erythrina that naturally occurs there. It is typically found in Hawaiian tropical dry forests on leeward island slopes up to an elevation of 600 m (2,000 ft). Wiliwili means "repeatedly twisted" in the Hawaiian language and refers to the seedpods, which dehisce, or twist open, to reveal the seeds.

Araucaria laubenfelsii (De Laubenfels' Araucaria) is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is found only on Grande Terre, the main island of New Caledonia, mainly on the southern mountains Mont Mou, Mont des Sources, Mont Dzumac and Mont Dou, though smaller populations also exist on Mont Kaala and Mont Canala in the north. It is one of the larger of New Caledonia's native araucaria species, sometimes reaching up to 50 meters in height in emergent rainforest specimens, and potentially living for as long as 500 years or more. As with other New Caledonian Araucaria species,

Araucaria humboldtensis, or Humboldt's araucaria, is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is found only in New Caledonia. It is threatened by habitat loss, as even though the remaining wild populations are located within protected park areas, an increased frequency of forest fires in recent years has led to continued degradation of habitat and increased dieback of mature trees. Araucaria humboldtensis is one of the smaller trees in its family, ranging from 6–15 m in height, with a distinct flattened crown in mature specimens. It is found in the wild only in three remnant

Araucaria bernieri, commonly known as Bernier's columnar araucaria, is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is found only in New Caledonia at elevations below 700 meters, mainly in the southern part of the main island. It is a large tree reaching 40–50 meters in height, though specimens growing on poorer soil tend to be dwarfed. It is threatened by habitat loss with a wild population of less than 10,000 mature trees, and ongoing decline in remaining populations.

Falcatifolium taxoides is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. It is a tree found only in New Caledonia, and is the only known host of its non-photosynthetic, possibly parasitic relative, Parasitaxus usta.

Brighamia insignis, commonly known as ʻŌlulu or Alula in Hawaiian, or colloquially as the vulcan palm or cabbage on a stick, is a species of Hawaiian lobelioid in the bellflower family, Campanulaceae. It was native to the islands of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau, but has been extinct in the wild since at least 2020. This short-lived perennial species is a member of a unique endemic Hawaiian genus with only one other species.

Araucaria subulata (narrow-leaf araucaria) is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is found only in New Caledonia, with scattered populations present across the central and southern mountain regions of the main island Grande Terre, especially on Mont Dzumac and Mont des Sources. It is one of the tallest of New Caledonia's endemic araucaria species, reaching up to 50 meters in height. Young trees, like the one in the picture, show similar growth habits to the Norfolk Island Pine. It is threatened by habitat loss as with all of New Caledonia's araucaria trees, but populations of

Araucaria nemorosa (Boise araucaria) is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is found only in New Caledonia, an island possession of France in the South Pacific. It is mostly found as a small understory tree, typically growing to no more than 15 meters (though rarely reaching 30m), and relatively shade tolerant, though it can also grow as an emergent from coastal scrub. It has feathery foliage somewhat less spiky than most other Araucaria species, and is found only on serpentine soil, in coastal locations below 100m in altitude. It is threatened by habitat loss and is a

Nepenthes vieillardii (; after Eugène Vieillard, collector of plants from New Caledonia and Tahiti between 1861 and 1867) is a species of pitcher plant endemic to the island of New Caledonia. Its distribution is the most easterly of any Nepenthes species. Its natural habitat is shrublands or forests, to about 900 metres (3,000 ft) altitude. Tripteroides caledonicus mosquitoes breed in the pitchers of this species.

Chambeyronia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Arecaceae. It contains nine species, all endemic to New Caledonia:

Araucaria scopulorum (rock araucaria) is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is endemic to New Caledonia, where it is an endangered species. It occurs in small populations that are restricted to two main areas. It grows in shrubland on steep coastal slopes below 300m in altitude. Araucaria scopulorum is a relatively small tree compared to most other araucarias, with mature trees varying from 4–20 meters in height. Much of its habitat is located in areas with active nickel mining operations and no populations are in protected areas.

Araucaria rulei (Rule's araucaria) is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is endemic to New Caledonia, where it is an endangered species. Its populations are fragmented, and are generally made up of scattered individuals. It is restricted to dry serpentine soils at altitudes up to 1,000 m, often with high nickel levels, with its natural range is almost completely restricted to areas rich in nickel. Nickel mining in New Caledonia has consequently been a major cause of its decline. Araucaria rulei grows to around 30 m (98 ft) in height, with long slender branches arranged

Pritchardia pacifica, the Fiji fan palm, or piu, is a species of palm tree in the genus Pritchardia that is native to Tonga. It is also found in Fiji, Samoa, and the north-eastern part of India (especially in the tribal areas of Arunachal Pradesh, where people use it as thatched roofing), and the Marquesas. However, these populations are likely to be human introductions. This species is found in tropical dry forests.

Kokia cookei is a small, deciduous tree commonly known as the kokiʻo, Molokaʻi treecotton, Cooke's kokiʻo, or Molokaʻi kokiʻo. It is about 3 m (9.8 ft) in height, with simple leaves of 5 to 7 lobes, and large flowers. The fruit that the plant produces is composed of a five-lobed capsule that is dry and covered with short, dense hairs. The Kokia follows the typical flowering plant life cycle. It was distributed in the lowlands of the Hawaiian islands prior to going extinct in the wild in 1978. It survives only as grafted branches on other Kokia species trees. Conservation efforts, such as

Eriaxis is a monotypic genus of orchids in the subfamily Vanilloideae. The sole species is Eriaxis rigida, endemic to New Caledonia. Its closest relative is Clematepistephium, also endemic to New Caledonia.

Araucaria schmidii (Schmid araucaria) is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is a medium to large tree growing up to 30 meters tall. It is found only in a small area on New Caledonia, with only one contiguous population in an area covering less than one square kilometer on the summit and highest slopes of Mont Panié in the north-east of the main island, Grande Terre, though a few scattered individuals may still be found on surrounding peaks. It is threatened by habitat loss. While the single remaining population is in a protected national park in a remote area, this area is

Araucaria muelleri is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is a medium size tree, 10–25 meters in height, with larger leaves than most other New Caledonian Araucarias. It is found only in New Caledonia, in several sites in the far south of Grande Terre, the main island.

Sophora chrysophylla, known as māmane in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering plant in the pea and bean family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It is highly polymorphic, growing as a shrub or tree, and able to reach a height of 15 m (49 ft) in tree form. Yellow flowers are produced in winter and spring.