Abariringa

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left: ISS018-E-10381 Image courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center. http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov Abariringa This atoll is also known by the names Canton or Kanton. Its lagoon reaches about 50 km² and is surounded by several narrow motus, whose land area together only reaches 9 km². The lagoon is very shallow, the water level lies by averagely 6 m. It is easy to see, that the lagoon is now in the stage of beginning siltation.

left: on one of the motus, among others there are Te Ntanini (Cassytha filiformis), Te Ren (Heliotropium foertherianum) and Te Mao (Scaevola taccada) to be seen Foto: Angela K. Keppler; by courtesy of Angela K. Keppler http://www.pbif.org

Flora of Abariringa (almost complete) (green = pictures) Boerhavia albiflora, Cassytha filiformis, Cordia subcordata, Cyperus javanicus, Digitaria pacifica, Eragrostis paupera, Fimbristylis cymosa, Guettarda speciosa, Heliotropium foertherianum, Ipomoea macrantha, Ipomoea pes-caprae ssp. brasiliensis, Lepturus pilgerianus, Lepturus repens, Pemphis acidula, Pisonia grandis, Portulaca lutea, Scaevola taccada, Schoenoplectus litoralis, Sesuvium portulacastrum, Sida fallax, Suriana maritima, Tribulus cistoides, Triumfetta procumbens

References: - Otto Degener; Isa Degener: Canton Island, South Pacific (Resurvey of 1958). Smithsonian Institution, Washington. Atoll Res. Bull. 64: 1-24. 1959 - David R. Stoddart; F. Raymond Fosberg: Flora of the Phoenix Islands, Central Pacific. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. Atoll Res. Bull. 393: 1-60. 1994