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| The name Pitcairn should be
well known to all who have heard of the 'Mutiny on the Bounty'. The island is the deplorable remainder of a former volcanic crater, only 4,6 km sq large and about 337 m on its highest point. Pitcairn Island is the only permanently populated of the four islands of the archipelago. The now only about fifty habitants descend from mutineers from the Bounty and some Tahitians, which some were brought to the island by the mutineers, some voluntarily others against their will. They speak their own language, Pitcairnese, a mixture of old English and Tahitian, which is not standardised. Therefore there are two ways of writing, one using english - and another using polynesian phonetics. Twelve of the native plant species are endemic, most of them are highly endangered, the Yellow Foutu (Abutilon pitcairnense) was believed to be extinct, until in the year 2003 one single remaining plant was found. The former, probably rich bird fauna is not known because up to now no Lagerstätten of bones were found on the island. The only land bird, which still exists, is the Pitcairn Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus vaughanii) named Sparrow by the islanders. |
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| above: Pitcairn is of volcanic origin Photo: Angela K. Keppler http://www.pbif.org |
 left:steep cliffs near Christin's Cave, a cave where the mutineers from the Bounty dwelt during the first time. Photo: Angela K. Keppler http://www.pbif.org |
| Flora of Pitcairn (almost complete) (fat = endemic, green = pictures) Abutilon pitcairnense, Achyranthes velutina, Adiantum hispidulum, Alyxia stellata, Angiopteris chauliodonta, Apium prostratum, Arachnoides aristata, Asplenium nidus, Asplenium obtusatum, Asplenium shuttleworthianum, Bidens mathewsii, Boerhavia tetrandra (?), Caesalpinia major, Capparis cordifolia, Celtis pacifica, Cerbera manghas, Chamaesyce sparrmanii, Christella parasitica, Cocculus orbiculatus, Coprosma benefica, Ctenitis cumingii, Cyclophyllum barbatum, Davallia solida, Dianella adenanthera, Dicranopteris linearis, Diplazium harpeodes, Doodia media, Elatostema sp., Eugenia reinwardtiana, Glochidion comitum, Glochidion pitcairnense, Guettarda speciosa, Haloragis sp., Haplopteris elongata, Heliotropium foertherianum, Hernandia nymphaeifolia, Hibiscus australensis, Hibiscus tiliaceus, Homalium taypau, Hypolepis tenuifolia, Ipomoea littoralis, Ipomoea macrantha, Jasminum didymum, Lastreopsis pacifica, Lepidium bidentatum, Lepturus repens, Lycium sandwicense, Lycopodiella cernua, Metrosideros collina, Microsorum commutatum, Microsorum grossum, Microsorum powellii, Morinda myrtifolia, Myrsine aff. niauensis, Nephrolepis biserrata, Nephrolepis hirsutula, Ophioglossum nudicaule, Ophioglossum reticulatum, Osteomeles anthyllidifolia, Pandanus tectorius, Pemphis acidula, Peperomia blanda var. floribunda, Peperomia pitcairnense, Peperomia rapensis, Peperomia sp., Pisonia umbellifera, Pneumatopteris costata var. hispida, Procris pedunculata, Psilotum nudum, Psydrax odorata, Pyrrosia serpens, Reediella endlicheriana, Rorippa sarmentosa (?), Samolus repens, Sapindus saponaria, Scaevola taccada, Sesuvium portulacastrum, Sphaeropteris medullaris, Taeniophyllum fasciola, Thespesia populnea (?), Trichomanes tahitense, Xylosma suaveolens |
| References: - Naomi Kingston; Steve Waldren: 'A conservation appraisal of the rare and endemic vascular plants of Pitcairn Island' (2003) - J. Florence; S. Waldren; A. J. Chepstow-Lusty: 'The flora of the Pitcairn Islands: a review' (1995) - N. Kingston; S. Waldren: 'The Plant Communities and Environmental Gradients of Pitcairn Island: The Significance of Invasive Species and the Need for Conservation Management' (2003) |