Trees of Yap: A Field Guide

Marjorie V. Cushing Falanruw

United States Department of Agriculture

Forest 

Service

Pacific Southwest

Research Station

General Technical Report 

PSW-GTR-249

September

2015
Author

Marjorie V. Cushing Falanruw is a technology transfer specialist, 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest 

Research Station, Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, 60 Nowelo St., 

Hilo, HI 96720.

Cover photograph: Serianthes kanehirae var. yapensis, a tree endemic 

to Yap; known as “gumor” in Yapese. Photo by the author. All photos 

in this publication are by the author except as noted.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and 

employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are 

prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, 

gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, 

marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance 

program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, 

in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply 

to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or 

incident. 

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication 

for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign 

Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET 

Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal 

Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. 

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program 

Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.

usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter 

addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested 

in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. 

Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-

7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov . 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Trees of Yap: a Field Guide

Marjorie V. Cushing Falanruw

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Forest Service

Pacific Southwest Research Station

Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry

Hilo, Hawaii

General Technical Report PSW-GTR-249

September 2015

With additional support from:

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Forest Service

Pacific Northwest Research Station, 

and the Yap Institute of Natural Science
Abstract

Falanruw, Marjorie V. Cushing. 2015. Trees of Yap: a field guide. Gen. 

Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-249. Hilo, HI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 268 p.

Descriptions, drawings, and photographs are presented for trees found 

on the Yap Islands in the Federated States of Micronesia. Included are 

all recorded native trees and most introduced trees as well as new records 

of native and introduced trees. Additional information is provided on 

tree distribution, status, vernacular names in Micronesia, and English 

names when available, along with comments on the species and their 

uses. An index includes scientific names and their synonyms, including 

taxonomic updates, families, and vernacular and other common names 

to assist users in locating tree descriptions.

Keywords: Trees, Yap Islands, Micronesia, field guide.
Preface

There are no recent, comprehensive guides to the flora of Yap or of 

Micronesia as a whole, and information on Yap’s trees is scattered 

and often out of date. At the same time, growing threats to Yap’s trees 

make it increasingly urgent to learn more about the status of Yap’s 

forest resources. This field guide assists with tree identification and 

classification, and should be helpful both to people who live and work 

with Yap’s trees and seek a way to communicate information for the 

next generation, and to visitors to Yap.

This project was initiated to assist with forest inventory work in Yap by 

a team of U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis personnel 

and their counterparts in the Yap Division of Agriculture and Forestry. 

It is designed to be used as a field guide to assist people of different 

backgrounds with the identification of Yap’s trees. For a description 

and map of vegetation types found on Yap, see Falanruw et al. (1987).

Using This Guide

Whitmore (1966) defined a tree as a woody plant with an erect perennial trunk at least 7.5 cm (3 in) in diameter at breast height, 1.4 m (about 

4.5 ft), a definitely formed crown of foliage, and a height of at least 4 

m (13 ft). This definition leaves out large plants such as bananas and 

bamboo. Some species included in this guide might not quite meet 

these size criteria but are included because of the average small stature 

of Yap’s trees in general.

In this guide, each tree species or genus treatment is presented on a 

two-page spread that provides the following:

• The scientific name of the tree (genus, species, and authorities).

• Synonyms: other scientific names that have been applied to this tree 

(where appropriate).

• Its family and current status (native, endemic, or introduced).

• English and local names for the tree if known.

• Habitat, description of the tree in general, and characteristics of 

its leaves, flowers (or inflorescence), and fruit.
• Distribution of the tree in Micronesia and elsewhere (its distribution 

outside of Micronesia may not be a complete accounting).

• Comments: additional explanation and bits of information that may 

be of interest.

Species are arranged alphabetically by families, beginning with 

nonflowering plants, followed by flowering plants beginning with 

monocots (plants with one seed leaf and flower parts in 3s and 6s), and 

continuing with dicots (plants with two seed leaves and flower parts in 

4s and 5s). This arrangement groups related species and also provides 

the value of beginning with some easily recognized groups: the cycad (a 

gymnosperm), palm trees, and Pandanus (monocots). The arrangement 

also allowed the guide to begin with Yap’s ancient cycad, Cycas 

micronesica, a fitting choice given Yap’s customary respect for elders. 

Throughout the guide, tree descriptions are organized alphabetically 

by family name, then alphabetically by genus and species within each 

family. Also included is an index that includes all families, species, 

synonyms, and Yapese or other common names so that trees can be 

located using any of these categories.

Recent advances in plant taxonomy have resulted in some changes 

in scientific names as well as realignment of some plant genera and 

families. To avoid confusion for those accustomed to names currently 

in use, trees described in this guide are arranged alphabetically by 

family names that are most widely used by local natural resource 

professionals in Micronesia, and which appear in the pertinent scientific 

literature (Fosberg et al. 1979, 1982, 1987) and Mabberley (1987). Other 

alternative family names are enclosed in parentheses. New names and 

realignments, largely from the third edition of Mabberly (2008), which 

will eventually become more familiar, are also presented in a checklist 

(page 257) and are included in the index. For species that are included 

in the U.S. Department of Agriculture PLANTS database (http://plants.

usda.gov), the names and authors in that publication are followed. 

Descriptions are given for some of the more distinctive families with 

many genera, and species in some genera with more than three species, 

such as Ficus and Citrus, are treated together.
The determination of whether to indicate a species as introduced, 

native, or endemic draws on Fosberg et al. (op. cit.) and on Costion 

and Lorence (2012). The section on conservation of Yap’s trees discusses 

Yap trees that are endemic to Yap alone (“only on Yap trees”), endemic 

to Yap and only one or a few other islands, or endemic to Micronesia.

Most of the photographs were taken by the author. The names of other 

contributors are appended to each photo. Where possible, space has 

been left at the end of species descriptions for field notes. 

Caveats

Our knowledge of Yap’s trees is not complete. The future will bring 

additions and revisions to the species covered here. This guide covers 

all native species recorded from Yap, most of the common introduced 

species, and some new records of both. Not all introduced trees 

are included, however, because new species are continually being 

introduced and the focus of this guide is on native and naturalized trees. 

For some genera, such as Psychotria, which are not well understood, and 

Citrus, which is cultivated and contains many species and varieties, a 

number of species are treated together. Readers may note that some of 

the photographed trees still exhibit their “typhoon architecture,” with 

new growth located close to main stems rather than on fully extended 

branches, reflecting that the first draft of this guide was prepared 

shortly after Typhoon Sudal, in 2004, had extensively damaged Yap’s 

trees.

As a field guide, this report is not intended to serve as a formal botanical 

tree flora of Yap. Common language has often been substituted for 

more technical terms, and descriptions emphasize vegetative parts that 

can more often be seen in the forest. At the same time, many botanical 

terms are included and a glossary of botanical terms is provided. 

To describe trees using common language throughout would have 

made the descriptions much longer, and Yapese and botanists do not 

necessarily use the same characterizations. Realistically, most local 

users will probably make most use of the photographs. With apologies 

to trained botanists for this mode of presentation, I invite non-botanists 
to become familiar with at least some of the botanical terms, because it 

may help us better communicate our knowledge of trees. 

To produce a field guide with as many species as this in a relatively 

short time, I used a variety of sources, such as Smith (1979, 1991) and 

others cited in the reference section. In some cases, when it was the only 

source available, I used portions of descriptions provided by Kanehira 

(1932, 1935), as it seems important to make these descriptions available 

so that we can continue to refine our knowledge. Time did not allow 

checking all descriptions and measurements in the field, but we had to 

start somewhere. I invite users of the guide to let me know about any 

discrepancies so that we can improve the guide for future editions.

Most local names included in the guide are gathered from the literature, 

such as the compilation by Falanruw et al. (1990) with Carolinian names 

coming from Raulerson and Rinehart (1991). As there is no official 

orthography for Yapese, diacritical marks such as glottal stops have 

generally been omitted. I realize that many of the local names may be 

considered to be misspelled. I felt that rather than not including local 

names of uncertain spelling, it was better to include what was available, 

so that users of the guide can contribute corrections and additions. This 

is a rather urgent matter, because names not recorded and corrected 

are likely to be forgotten by the current generation and lost to the next. 

Comments on Yap’s trees have been included for clarification or to be of 

interest to the reader. Many bits of information from Yap were known 

to me while others were drawn from sources listed in the references. As 

noted, this is a field guide, not an ethnobotanical work; a more extensive 

and properly documented ethnobotany is anticipated to be published 

in the future. We invite our readers to take part in this project by 

contributing local names and reporting trees, especially “real Yap 

trees” that are not covered in this guide. 

Conservation of Yap’s Trees and Forests

There is need for improved stewardship of Yap’s trees and forests. Yap 

has the lowest percentage of terrestrial native forest in the Federated 

States of Micronesia, with much of the original native forest converted 
to agroforest and a large proportion of the island covered by secondary 

vegetation and savanna (teid in Yapese). The limited remnants of native 

forest face many threats including land moving operations, logging, 

agricultural clearing, wildfires, and typhoons. In 2004, Typhoon 

Sudal killed or more generally damaged many trees. In the wake of the 

typhoon, many surviving trees are being cut down to supply a growing 

number of sawmills. A survey of Yap’s timber resources (MacLean et al. 

1988) indicated that Yap does not have enough large trees to support a 

timber industry while also providing for traditional local needs.

Trees take a long time to grow, and we need to learn how to manage 

tree resources sustainably. Some tree species are found only on Yap 

and nowhere else in the world. It would be unfortunate if this unique 

heritage were lost. Trees are needed for their ecological services of soil 

protection and watershed function, and to provide materials for artisans 

and traditional uses. In addition, there are valuable yet to be developed 

uses for Yap’s trees. For example, the Mayo Clinic recently found that an 

extract of our adid tree (Atuna racemosa Raf.) has antibiotic properties 

even against a resistant type of Staphlococcus. Recent studies of Yap’s 

mangroves indicate that the 12 percent of Yap comprising mangroves 

sequesters some 34 percent of the carbon removed from the atmosphere 

by Yap’s vegetation. Thus healthy living mangroves will be important for 

carbon credits and carbon trading in the near future. Allowed to live, 

our trees continuously produce food, clean water, oxygen, soil, habitat, 

medicines, and clear lagoons, and they moderate climate change and 

sea level rise. 

Our current understanding is that about 20 trees are endemic to Yap 

(“only on Yap trees”), endemic to Yap and only one or a few other 

islands, or endemic to Micronesia. We haven’t been able to collect 

Yapese names for nine of these trees. They are becoming forgotten. 

At least 10 of these trees are uncommon to rare. These special trees 

are in need of recognition, protection, and propagation as part of Yap’s 

unique natural heritage. 

In addition to endemic trees, Yap is home to trees that are becoming 

rare throughout the world. The International Union for Conservation 
of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), through its Species Survival 

Commission, assesses the status of species and other taxa of the 

world in order to identify those that are threatened with extinction 

and in need of protection. Thus far, the IUCN has been able to assess 

only a small percentage of the world’s trees, but the work is ongoing. 

The group publishes an international standard for species extinction 

risk called the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (http://www.

iucnredlist.org/). Although most of Yap’s trees have not been assessed, 

Red List Version 2012.2 includes Cycas micronesica, (“faltir”); 

Calophyllum inophyllum, (“biyuuch”); Dolichandrone spathacea, 

(“rriyou”); Intsia bijuga, (“thorrot”); Maranthes corymbosa; Pericopsis 

mooniana, Pterocarpus indicus, (“lach”); Scyphiphora hydrophyllaceae, 

(“guad”); and Xylocarpus granatum, (“yamgur”). Cycas micronesica is 

listed as endangered and decreasing. Intsia bijuga, Pericopsis mooniana, 

and Pterocarpus indicus are listed as vulnerable, and Calophyllum 

inophyllum, Dolichandrone spathacea, Maranthes corymbosa, 

Scyphiphora hydrophyllaceae, and Xylocarpus granatum are described 

as decreasing and in need of updated information. 

Based on these designations, the world recognizes that Intsia bijuga, 

Pericopsis mooniana, Pterocarpus indicus, and especially Cycas 

micronesica face a risk of global extinction in the wild. Thus Yap plays 

a role in assuring the survival of these species for the world. The risk 

of global extinction for C. micronesica is the highest, because it occurs 

naturally only in the Western Caroline islands (Yap and Palau) and the 

Marianas. The cycads of Guam are being killed by an introduced scale 

insect that may also have reached Palau. This makes the people of Yap 

the world’s most important custodians of this unique ancient species.

I hope that this guide will help us learn and share information about 

Yap’s trees so that we will come to a greater appreciation and improved 

stewardship of this heritage.

— Margie V. Cushing Falanruw

Yap Islands
Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 1

Contents

2 Species Descriptions

248 Acknowledgments

250 References

253 Glossary

257 Field Guide Checklist

264 Index
2 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonyms: 

Cycas rumphii Miq.; Cycas circinalis L.

Local and common names: 

English: cycad. Yapese: faltir. Palauan: remiang. 

Chamorro: fadang; federico.

Habitat and description: 

A shrub to tree with pinnate leaves spirally arranged in a round crown 

at the top, like a palm. Leaves: Look like palm fronds with a 1-pinnate 

pattern, 1 to 2.5 m long, glossy dark green except for new flushes that are 

light green. “Flowers:” Cycads are gymnosperms and have cones rather 

than flowers. They are dioecious, having male and female cones on 

separate trees. Male trees bear an upright cone in the center of the leaves 

with wooly scales that produce pollen (see photo). Fruit: Female trees 

produce golden tan, serrated leaf-like structures bearing ovules that open 

outward and when pollinated develop into large, glossy, hard-shelled 

brown seeds that hang at the base of the leaves.

Distribution:

Endemic to the Marianas and Western Carolines.

Comments: 

This species is listed on the International Union for Conservation of 

Nature (IUCN) endangered species list. In 2003, it was considered “near 

threatened” but has been reclassified as endangered because the Guam 

cycads are being wiped out by a scale insect that was introduced with 

ornamental cycads from Hawaii. This makes the cycads of Yap and 

Palau extremely valuable as the world’s main natural populations of 

this ancient species. Cycads are the world’s oldest seed-bearing plants, 

originating more than 200 million years ago in the age of dinosaurs. The 

male cones produce some of the largest sperm known. Seeds contain 

poisonous substances, but historically people in Guam and Yap and 

some other areas learned to wash out the toxins in order to use the large 

cycad seed for food. Cycas micronesica can be propagated by planting the 

seeds, which take 3 to 6 months to germinate, or by cuttings of either the 

whole trunk or just the concave scars on the trunk that can be cut out 

and planted. This cycad is used medicinally and for decoration but 

is not common, thus is at risk of being overharvested.

Cycas micronesica K.D. Hill

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 3

Cycadaceae Native

(A) Yap State Forester 

Pius Liyagel with tall 

cycad tree; (B) cone of 

male tree; (C) female 

structures.

B

C

A
GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY

4 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: Norfolk Island pine; Cook pine.

Habitat and description:

A tall, pine-like tree that is so symmetrical it looks artificial. Branches 

radiate from the main stem in tiers; each branch has many branchlets 

arranged in one plane. Leaves: twigs are surrounded on all sides with 

numerous, overlapping, curved awl, needle or scale-like leaves. Fruit: 

the trees introduced to Yap do not seem to bear fruit.

Araucaria heterophylla and A. columnaris are quite similar, especially 

when young. The leaves of young trees and branches of A. columnaris, 

the Cook pine, are narrow, awl-shaped, pointed, and up to 13 mm long; 

Leaves on older branches are broader, triangle-shaped, and scale-like 

up to 6 mm long. Araucaria heterophylla, the true Norfolk Island pine, 

tends to have a wider crown of denser foliage and a more pyramidal 

appearance, although the overall shape may be affected by typhoons.

Distribution: 

Araucaria heterophylla is originally from Norfolk Island; A. columnaris

is native to New Caledonia and the Isle of Pines. The two are so similar 

that the name “Norfolk Island pine” has been applied to both. They 

have both been planted in many parts of the Pacific. Fosberg et al. 

(1982) listed A. heterophylla for Yap, but the seedlings distributed by 

Yap Forestry since at least the 1980s were grown from Cook pine seed 

from Hawaii.

Comments:

These species are planted ornamentally on Yap and are said to be 

good as supports for the vines of betel leaf (Piper betle) (“gabuiy” in 

Yapese). Used for Christmas trees, ornamental trees, and lumber. The 

wood of Araucaria columnaris is comparable in strength to that of 

Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca). It is 

lightweight, with a specific gravity of 0.44, and is used for attractive 

knotty pine paneling, tuned bowls, and bracelets (Little and Skolmen 

1989).

Araucaria heterophylla (Salisb.) Franco 

Araucaria columnaris (G. Frost.) Hook.
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 5

Araucaraiaceae Introduced

(A) Araucaria heterophylla, 

top of tree; (B) close up 

of twigs with little awllike leaves.

A

B
6 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names:

English: Betel palm; betel nut palm; areca palm; areca nut palm. 

Yapese: buw. 

Palauan: buuch. 

Chamorro: pugua.

Habitat and description:

A well-known and beloved small, slender palm common in agroforests 

and secondary forests. Trunk grey with conspicuous closely spaced 

rings. Leaves: 1-pinnate “palm fronds,” with short petioles and a basal 

sheath that surrounds the trunk; leaflets irregularly notched at tip. 

Flowers: enclosed in boat-like sheath that opens into a much-branched 

yellowish green inflorescence up to 30 cm long, staminate flowers 5 

mm long, female flowers 1.5 to 2 cm long, basal. Fruit: ovoid-oblong, 

about 4 cm long, green, maturing to yellowish or orange and brown.

Distribution: 

Originally from Indo-Malaysia and now widely cultivated and 

naturalized; especially common in Yap.

Comments:

Beloved in Yap, with several locally recognized varieties; chewed with 

Piper betle leaves and quicklime; also widely used in Indo-Malaysia. In 

recent years, use has spread throughout Micronesia and betel nut has 

become Yap’s biggest export. The sheath of the inflorescence is used to 

line baby baskets and as a sitting mat.

Areca catechu L.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 7

(A) Areca catechu tree with newly opened 

inflorescence; (B) cluster of young betel nut fruit.

Arecaceae (formerly Palmae) Introduced

B

A
8 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: coconut palm. 

Yapese: niew; nuy. 

Palauan: lius. 

Carolinian: luu. 

Chamorro: nijog.

Habitat and description: 

A short to tall palm tree common in Yap’s agroforests and coastal areas. 

Leaves: 1-pinnate fronds about 6 m in length with a heavy midrib, 

arranged spirally to form the characteristic round crown of a palm 

tree. Flowers: borne on many branched inflorescence emerging from 

a curved, boat-like sheath; flowers clustered in sets of three (two male 

and one female), with only male flowers produced toward the tip of 

the inflorescence. Fruit: large ovoid, somewhat triangular coconut, 

maturing green to orangish to brown, size variable by variety, up to 

30 cm or more, one hard-shelled seed within fibrous husk.

Distribution: 

Origin not certain, but has traveled throughout the Pacific and tropical 

areas with human migration.

Comments: 

There are a number of locally recognized varieties of coconut trees on 

Yap from trees with small to large nuts; thick, thin, and edible husks; 

and a local variety with an unbranched inflorescence. It is a very useful 

tree with many uses from medicines, beverages, food, fibers, decorations, and building materials.

Cocos nucifera L.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 9

Introduced

(A) Cocos nucifera tree; (B) coconuts of Yapese variety “partagel” with tight clusters of 

small nuts along main rib of inflorescence; (C) coconut flowering bud being tapped 

for sap for production of “achief” toddy.

Arecaceae (formerly Palmae)

A

B C
10 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Heterospathe elata Scheff.

Local and common names:

English: sagisi palm; palma brava. 

Yapese: buwog. 

Palauan (for variety palauensis): demaile.

Habitat and description:

A tall, slender, wild palm tree with a trunk to 20 cm in diameter, thicker 

near base, smooth with leaf scars visible near top. Leaves: to 3.5 m long, 

arching gracefully and twisting about 90 percent near the end, with 

about 65 leaflets on each side; sheath smooth, dotted with brown scales, 

surrounding trunk at base only, not enclosing the trunk in a crownshaft as with the betel-nut palm. Inflorescence: white, aging tan, much 

branched, flowers usually in groups of three (two male and one female). 

Fruit: almost round, about 6 to 7 mm in diameter.

Moore and Fosberg (1956) described two varieties: palauensis, native to 

Palau; and elata, native to the Philippines and introduced to Guam.

Comments: 

The palma brava may have been introduced to Guam long ago. In the 

last 20 years or so, it has invaded and almost replaced native ravine 

forest species. The “buwog” of Yap is also spreading, one of the vectors 

being young boys who use the fruit as ammunition in blow guns, 

thus spreading it widely.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 11

Introduced

Heterospathe elata tree.

Arecaceae (formerly Palmae)
12 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Metroxylon amicarum (H.A. Wendl.) Becc.

Local and common names:

English: Caroline ivory nut palm. 

Palauan: os.

Habitat and description:

Potentially tall palm tree with massive trunk and short root spines; a 

swamp species in its native habitat in Chuuk and Pohnpei. A few trees 

have been planted in moist areas in Yap. Leaves: 1-pinnate fronds to 

about 5 m long with about 85 pairs of leaflets; leaflets born in two planes 

with series of three to five or more borne in the same plane and then 

one leaflet at a different angle (see photo), giving the fronds a woolly 

appearance; sheaths spiny when young; petioles persist, giving the upper 

part of trunk a spiny appearance. Inflorescence: borne among the leaves 

(unlike most other species in this genus with terminal inflorescence), 

about 125 cm long with bracteate branches and flowers in crowded 

spikes. Fruit: roundish, about 7 to 12 cm in diameter, covered with 

glossy, firm, overlapping scales, about 1.2 cm tall and 2 cm broad; 

endosperm very hard, white to cream and gray.

Distribution: 

Endemic to Chuuk and Pohnpei, but now planted occasionally 

throughout Micronesia. 

Comments: 

A swamp species in Chuuk and Pohnpei, now cultivated more widely 

for its “ivory nut” fruits used for carvings. Metroxylon amicarum is the 

only species in its genus that does not die after flowering. The related 

sago palm, M. sagu Rottb., from which edible starch is extracted from 

the trunk in Malaysia and New Guinea, has been planted in Palau and 

Pohnpei and perhaps elsewhere.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 13

Introduced

(A) Metroxylon amicarum tree; (B) nuts and inner kernel used for carving; (C) closeup 

of leaf showing two-tiered arrangement that gives tree its woolly appearance.

Arecaceae (formerly Palmae)

B

C

A
14 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Nypa fruticans Wurmb

Local and common names: 

English: nipa palm. 

Yapese: eang; ayeng. 

Palauan: teuchel. 

Chuukese: kuwa; kia. 

Pohnpean: pahrum.

Habitat and description: 

A palm growing in estuaries, rivers, and the landward edge of mangroves where water is generally brackish, with a submerged trunk and 

with fronds arising from the mud as if trunkless. Leaves: pinnate fronds, 

about 3 to 7 m long, growing erect. Inflorescence: borne amid leaf bases; 

male flowers in golden cylindrical spike, female flowers in round head. 

Fruit: a round mass about 12 to 30 cm in diameter made up of many 

fruits, each narrowing to a point, about 9 to 10 cm long and with two 

to four ridges.

Distribution: 

Throughout Carolines, native to Philippines, and introduced and 

naturalized on Guam. 

Comments:

Two varieties occur on Yap; the most common one having shorter fronds 

is believed to be more durable for thatching. This palm is important as 

a source of thatch for traditional buildings. The young flower can be 

tapped for sweet sap that can yield an alcoholic drink.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 15

Native?

(A) Nypa fruticans: golden male inflorescence on left and mature fruit in 

right foreground; (B) nipa palms growing in estuary.

Arecaceae (formerly Palmae)

A

B
16 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Pandanus tectorius Park; Pandanus dubius Spreng

Local and common names:

For Pandanus tectorius—

English: thatch screwpine, pandanus. 

Yapese: choi (general name, local varieties recognized). 

Chamorro: kafu. Carolinian: fashil; wal.

For Pandanus dubius—Chamorro: pahong. Carolinian: poghu.

Habitat and description: 

Small- to medium-size tree with erect trunk and often numerous prop 

roots, especially in wet soils. Leaves: have spines on both margins and 

midrib, long and spiny, spiraling around trunk to form rounded heads 

at the ends of branches, appearing like a “pineapple tree.” Flowers: male 

and female flowers are borne on separate trees and enclosed in large, 

light-colored bracts; male inflorescence is a fragrant, cylindrical spike; 

bracts about female inflorescence fall early. Fruit: round and composed 

of numerous “keys,” each of which contains one or more hard-shelled 

seeds. Pandanus tectorius is common and has smaller leaves, rarely over 

8 cm wide, and 1 or more meters long, 

tapering to a thin point, with white bracts 

enclosing the flowers. Pandanus dubius

is uncommon and is distinguished by its 

much broader leaves to 20 cm wide, which 

come to a tip more abruptly; there are bright 

lemon-yellow bracts about the flowers; the 

huge fruit often has a purplish waxy bloom, 

with keys that come to a single point and 

contain one seed. A number of varieties used 

for weaving occur on Yap.

Distribution: 

Throughout Micronesia. 

Comments: 

Pandanus tectorius is very common in savannas, secondary vegetation, 

and forest edges. Fruit bats feed on the ripe fruit and spread its seeds. 

Pandanus dubius and other varieties are much less common and grow 

more coastally. Pandanus leaves are very important for weaving, and 

were also used in the past for thatch.

Pandanus tectorius root doll 

with chewed fibers for hair 

and lifted fibers for eyelashes. 

Illustration by Stanley Kenrad.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 17

(A) Pandanus tree in 

savanna; (B) ripe pandanus fruit; (C) white 

bracts about male 

flower.

Pandanaceae Native

B C

A
18 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: tha.

Habitat and description: 

A small, erect or scandent tree growing in the forest understory. 

Leaves: with two ridges on top forming an “M” in cross-section, the 

parallel midribs without spines; leaves spiral around trunk to form 

clusters at the ends of branches so that tree appears like a “pineapple 

tree;” trees growing in swampy areas may have leaves 3 m long. 

Flowers: male and female flowers are borne on separate trees. Fruit: 

round and composed of numerous “keys,” small and bright red, often 

with a waxy bloom.

Distribution:

Only on Yap.

Comments:

Often scattered as low-growing lianas in secondary vegetation but 

producing fruit only when it stands erect under a forest canopy. The 

red fruit is generally concealed amid the terminal cluster of leaves. 

The long roots provide fibers for a variety of uses.

Pandanus yapensis Mart. ex Kaneh.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 19

(A) Pandanus yapensis bright red 

fruiting bodies; (B) scandent tree; 

(C) leaf.

Pandanaceae Native, endemic

B C

A
20 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Anacardium occidentale L.

Local and common names: 

English: Cashew. 

Chamorro: kasoe.

Habitat and description: 

On Yap, a small spreading tree. Leaves: simple, entire, alternate, broad 

obovate, about 10 to 20 cm long and 5 to 10 cm wide. Flowers: panicles 

of pinkish-yellow, five-parted, fragrant flowers each about 0.8 cm in 

diameter. Fruit: with enlarged base 7 to 8 cm long and red to yellow 

with reddish kidney-shaped seed attached to this base.

Distribution: 

Originally South American but now cultivated widely. Introduced to Yap.

Comments: 

An introduced tree that has persisted since the Japanese occupation. The 

base of the seed swells into a “cashew apple” from which a drink is prepared in Brazil. Seeds are roasted for “cashew nuts.” The sap of this tree 

may cause a rash in sensitive individuals. The fruit and seed contain gallic acid, anacardic acid, and cardole, which are caustic. Care should 

be taken when handling the leaves; the fruit and seed should not be 

eaten raw.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 21

(A) Anacardium occidentale branch with 

fruit; (B) seed; (C) roasted cashew nuts.

B

A

C

Anacardiaceae Introduced
22 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Buchanania engleriana Volkens

Local and common names: 

Palauan: omail.

Habitat and description: 

Medium to large tree scattered in native forests. Trunk: generally 

straight, bark smooth. Petiole: 2 to 3 cm long, flat. Leaves: clustered at 

ends of branches, obovate, rounded at apex, 15 to 22 cm long, 7 to 12 

cm wide, young leaves often reddish. Flower: small, on short terminal, 

panicle. Fruit: roundish, 1.5 cm in diameter.

There are seven genera of trees in the Anacardiaceae family on Yap, 

four with big oval or obovate leaves. The cashew nut is a small, uncommon tree with a very distinctive fruit. Buchania engleriana can be distinguished from Campnosperma brevipetiolata (Yapese = “ramlieu”) 

by its longer petioles, leaves not as tightly whorled at ends of branches, 

and reddish young leaves. Semecarpus venenosus (Yapese = “changath”) 

leaves are more pointed at the end and whitish below, and when cut the 

bark produces black sap that can cause severe itching, as with poison ivy.

Distribution: 

Endemic to Yap and Palau.

Comments: 

Kanehira (1933) listed this tree only for Yap, but Fosberg (1960) listed it 

for Palau as well. The two trees are similar in appearance. Buchanania 

engleriana is mainly found in Yap’s limited areas of native forest. It can 

generally be distinguished by its smooth bark and reddish young leaves.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 23

(A) Buchanania engleriana terminal 

whorl of leaves—note reddish new 

leaves; (B) tree; (C) trunk.

C

A

B

Anacardiaceae Native, endemic
24 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: ramlieu. 

Palauan: kelelacharm. 

Kosraean: elak.

Habitat and description: 

A large tree occurring in forests or swampy conditions. Shorter and 

more branched trees also occur in savannas. The tree can be identified 

in the forest by the rosettes of leaves in the canopy. Trunk: tall and 

tapering, branching on all sides to give one or more rounded to flat 

crowns so that a thicket of these trees gives a fine uniform texture on 

aerial photos; bark cream to grey, smooth. Large trees may have small 

thin, scurfy, squarish scales; sapwood white, heartwood straw-colored; 

buttresses low, rounded, spreading some distance from trunk. Leaves:

simple, entire, oblanceolate leaves that clasp branch at base; spiraling 

to form rosettes at ends of branches. Leaves of saplings are much larger than those of mature trees, 20 to 60 cm long and 7 to 15 cm wide 

with 20 to 30 pairs of lateral veins. Flowers: small, green-yellow, 

borne on cream racemes at end of branch within rosette of leaves. 

Fruit: roundish, ripens to red to purple and black, size varies from 

east to western Carolines.

Distribution:

Throughout Carolines; Solomons, Malay Archipelago.

Comments: 

Fruit eaten and transported by birds; a timber species with some 

potential as it grows readily in forest gaps and open areas. Source 

of parasiticidal tigasco skin oil in Papua.

Campnosperma brevipetiolata Volkens

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 25

(A) Campnosperma brevipetiolata

rosettes of leaves as seen from 

below; (B) small tree in savanna; 

(C) ripening fruit; (D) inflorescence.

Anacardiaceae

B

C

A

D

Native
26 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY

Local and common names: 

English: mango.

Yapese: manga. 

Chamorro: manga. 

Palauan: edel. 

Chuukese: kangit; manko. 

Pohnpean: kangit.

Habitat and description: 

A large tree with dense foliage, resinous throughout. Leaves: simple, 

entire, alternate, without stipules, thick and long to 33 cm; they smell 

like turpentine when crushed. Flushes of new leaves of most Yap trees 

are pink to red. Flowers: small pinkish-white or yellowish four- to fiveparted flowers borne on axillary or terminal panicles. Fruit: a drupe 

with one large fibrous seed; ripens green to yellow-reddish.

Distribution:

Probably from India originally; now spread throughout the tropical 

world. 

Comments: 

About 500 varieties are known in India. Mangoes were introduced to 

Yap and said to have been uncommon several generations ago. Now 

they are quite common around village and secondary areas. Seeds are 

spread by fruit bats and children.

Mangifera indica L.
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 27

C

B

A

(A) Mangifera indica tree with flushes of new leaves; (B) mature leaves; (C) fruit.

Anacardiaceae Introduced
28 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Rhus taitensis Guill.

Local and common names: 

English: sumac. 

Yapese: glad.

Palauan: eues. 

Chamorro: lemayu; lamahu; 

sumac.

Habitat and description: 

Medium to large tree of forests 

and secondary vegetation; trunk 

straight with spreading canopy; 

bark smooth, grayish; branches smooth with prominent lenticels. 

Leaves: imparipinnate (1-pinnate with terminal leaflet), six to eight 

opposite leaflets almost sessile, 5 to 6 cm long, 2 to 3 cm wide, deep 

green and glossy above with lateral veins prominent on underside only. 

Flowers: inflorescence white, terminal panicle, corolla 2 to 3 mm in 

diameter. Fruit: roundish, about 4 mm in diameter.

Distribution: 

Micronesia, Philippines, Polynesia, Melanesia.

Comments: 

Rhus taitensis is a common “bandage tree” that grows in disturbed 

areas and secondary forests, covering the soil and reducing soil erosion. 

It exhibits strong apical dominance and resumes straight growth even if 

injured, making it a good “nurse species” that produces a broad canopy, 

which improves conditions for other species. It persists in secondary 

forests. Used in a special dye formula.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 29

(A) Rhus taitensis tree; (B) inflorescences.

Anacardiaceae Native

B

A
30 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Semecarpus venenosus Volkens

Local and common names: 

Yapese: changath. 

Palauan: tonget.

Habitat and description: 

A medium to large tree common 

in forests of Yap, especially 

secondary forests; trunk straight, 

bark smooth; when injured, 

oozes sap that turns black. 

Leaves: alternate, oblanceolate, 

about 40 cm long and 12 cm 

wide, whitish beneath. Flowers:

terminal panicle. Fruit: roundish, 

lobed drupe, red when ripe, seed 

hard and bony. Seedlings may 

be numerous on forest floor 

and can be distinguished by 

whitish undersides. Trees can 

be distinguished from Campnosperma by black sap and leaves whitish 

below and less tightly clustered at tips of branches, with long, somewhat 

looping petioles.

Distribution: 

Endemic to Western Carolines (Yap and Palau).

Comments: 

The black sap, and even contact with leaves and other parts of the tree, 

or for sensitive individuals, standing under the tree in the rain, can cause 

severe contact dermatitis similar to that of poison ivy/poison oak. Fruit 

is used medicinally. 

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 31

(A) Semecarpus venenosus branch with developing fruit; (B) whitish undersides 

of leaves of sapling; (C) black sap.

Anacardiaceae Native, endemic

B C

A
32 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: hog plum. 

Yapese and Palauan: titimer.

Habitat and description: 

Medium to large trees planted or naturalized around residences. Leaves:

imparipinnate (1-pinnate with single terminal leaflet), alternate, with 

intra marginal nerve along leaf edge. Flowers: borne in terminal or 

distally axillary panicle. Fruit: a round to oval drupe covered with thin 

skin with a juicy mesocarp over a spiny seed. At least two species occur 

in Yap, the most common being S. pinnata with yellow to orange fruit 

3- to 5-cm long, smelling like overripe apples; the seed is a fibrous stone. 

Spondias dulcis, the iwi or ivi apple, is present but rare. Another species, 

S. lutea L. (S. mombin L.), with corky spines and knobs on the trunk and 

smaller fruit 3 cm long, is present on other islands and may be on Yap 

but is rare.

Distribution: 

Pantropical; probably planted throughout Micronesia.

Comments: 

An introduced tree that has naturalized. It is planted from cuttings and 

grows readily from fallen fruit and is somewhat invasive. Young leaves 

are used as flavoring in fish soup, and the juicy mesocarp of ripe fruit is 

squeezed and mixed with water for a refreshing drink.

Spondias pinnata (L. f.) Kurz

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 33

(A) Spondias pinnata tree; (B) trunk; 

(C) comparison of the fruits of S. pinnata

and S. dulcis: (D) leaf and fruit of P. pinnata.

Anacardiaceae Introduced

B C

A

D
34 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Annona muricata L.; Annona spp.

Local and common names:

For Annona muricata:

English: soursop. Yapese: sausau. Chamorro: laguana

(from Spanish: guanabana). 

For Annona reticulata:

English: custard-apple; bullocks-heart. Chamorro: annonas. 

For Annona squamosa:

English: sweetshop. Chamorro: atis.

For Annona cherimola: 

Spanish: cherimoya.

Habitat and description: 

Small trees producing delicious fruit. Leaves: simple, entire, alternate, 

elliptic, pointed at tip, more rounded or narrowed at base, about 12 to 16 

cm long by 5 to 8 cm wide. Flowers: green, with three thick, squat sepals. 

Fruit: oblong and curved, up to 30 cm long, with well-spaced, short, soft, 

curved spines; flesh whitish, sweet and acid, with abundant shiny black 

seeds. There have been at least three other Annona species on Yap that 

are now rare. They can be distinguished from one another as follows:

Annona reticulata is a larger tree with larger leaves: leaves to 20 cm 

long by 6 cm wide, lance-oblong. Flowers: greenish, in groups of two to 

three, three-parted. Fruit: ovoid cordate, 7 to 13 cm, with a reticulated, 

slightly bumpy skin, sweet, with acidic pulp and many seeds.

Annona squamosa is a small tree with leaves that are thin, oblong-ovate, 

7 to 14 cm long by 4 to 5 cm wide. Flowers: greenish, three-parted. 

Fruit: globose (almost round), about 8 to 10 cm broad, and with soft 

bumps, creamy yellow, soft, with sweet pulp and numerous black seeds.

Annona cherimola has leaves that are more round and velvety beneath. 

Flowers: three-parted and squat. Fruit: roundish, a bit narrower at 

the end, with a reticulated pattern, about 10 to 15 cm wide and with 

a fragrant, sweet-acidic, especially delicious pulp.

Distribution: 

All originate in tropical America and are now widespread.

Comments:

Crushed leaves have the characteristic smell of the genus. The seeds 

of Annona muricata can be crushed, mixed with shampoo, and used to 

kill head lice. Leaves and bark are used medicinally.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 35

(A) Annona muricata leaves; 

(B) and (C) flowers; (D) fruit.

Annonaceae Introduced

B

A

C

D
36 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: mara. 

Philippines: ilang-ilang. 

Chamorro: alang-ilang. 

Carolinian: lengileng. 

Palauan: irang.

Habitat and description: 

A medium-size tree with long, thin branches that bend when laden with 

flowers and fruit, resulting in a somewhat scraggly form; bark rough, 

dark, and scaly. Leaves: simple, entire, alternate and oblong, mediumgreen with a conspicuous lighter midrib and veins. Flowers: consist of 

three long petals hanging down rather like banana peels, green, maturing to yellowish and very fragrant. Fruit: a long black ovoid pod with 

constrictions between sections.

Distribution: 

Now planted and often naturalized throughout Micronesia; native from 

tropical Asia to Australia.

Comments: 

A very fragrant if not especially pretty flower that becomes more 

fragrant as it wilts; is mixed in with other flowers for nunuw leis and 

garlands, and mixed with coconut oil and sometimes other scents for 

perfume. It takes about 5 kg of flowers to make just 25 g of distilled 

cananga oil that is used as a base for a number of commercial perfumes.

Cananga is in the same family as Annona, and the Annona flower is a 

short, squat version of the Cananga flower.

Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook. F. & Thomson

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 37

(A) Cananga odorata tree; (B) drooping branches with flowers and fruit.

Annonaceae Introduced

B

A
38 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: sea mango. 

Yapese: riya. 

Palauan: chemeridech. 

Kosraean: sos.

Habitat and description: 

A small- to medium-size tree found in agroforests, secondary vegetation, and edges of forest. Leaves: simple, entire, alternate, with milky sap, 

forming whorls at ends of branches; narrowly obovate, 16 to 35 cm long 

by 3 to 8 cm wide, with a shiny surface, 10 to 22 lateral veins, petioles 2 

to 6 cm long. Flowers: clusters of white, fragrant flowers are borne on a 

terminal cyme, each flower being about 4 to 6 cm wide with a red throat, 

with a five-parted corona in the center. Fruit: are oval drupes, 6 to 8 cm 

long by 4 to 6 cm wide, green maturing to red and black.

Distribution: 

Throughout Micronesia and tropical Asia, Indo-Malaysia, Australia, 

and Pacific islands.

Comments: 

Rather like a wild plumeria tree. The Yapese name literally means 

“danger.” Sap is used medically.

Cerbera manghas Linn.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 39

(A) Cerbera manghas tree; (B) flowers; (C) fruit.

Apocynaceae

B

A

C

Native
40 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: Neisosperma oppositifolia (Lam.) Fosb. & Sachet.

Local and common names: 

Yapese: mow. 

Fais and Ulithian: mo. 

Ifaluk: umo. 

Woleaian: umwa. 

Chamorro: fago.

Habitat and description: 

Medium-size coastal tree uncommon on mainland Yap but more common in outer islands, with smooth gray bark and horizontal branches 

that form layers of whorls (“pagoda branching”). Leaves: simple, entire, 

opposite or whorled, dark green, oval, about 10 to 26 cm long by 6 to 13 

cm wide with prominent light-colored midribs and numerous straight 

lateral veins. They exude a milky sap when broken. Flowers: small, white, 

windmill shaped and fragrant, borne at tips of branches. Fruit: oblong 

drupes about 5 cm long, green, maturing to dull yellow, with two flat 

seeds; after they fall to the ground, the fruit pulp decays, leaving a 

fibrous network.

Distribution: 

Throughout Micronesia, especially on outer atolls; also on islands from 

the Indian Ocean through the Malay Peninsula.

Comments: 

Used medicinally; the seed may also be eaten by cutting the fruit into 

two halves along the longitudinal midrib mark. The thin seeds taste 

somewhat like mature coconut meat.

Ochrosia oppositifolia (Lam.) K. Schuman

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 41

Apocynaceae Native

B C

A

(A) Ochrosia oppositifolia (illustration by 

Martin Faimau); (B) and (C) rosettes of leaves.
42 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: plumeria. 

Yapese: sawur. 

Palauan: chelilairangebard (or ellilairangebard, the foreign ellilai).

Habitat and description: 

A shrub to small tree with thick, easily broken branches with milky sap. 

Leaves: simple, entire, opposite but close and crowded at tips of branches, 

mostly elliptic, acute-acuminate, tapered at base, commonly 20 to 35 cm 

long by 6 to 12 cm wide, petioles 4 to 9 cm long. Flowers: flower stalks 

4 to 15 cm long, flowers white with yellow eye; pink, red, large, and fragrant. Fruit: uncommon, long, narrowly ovoid opposite pods. Plumeria 

obtusa L. is similar but less common and differs in having more knobby 

branches, dark glossy obovate -rounded leaves, and white flowers with a 

fainter scent.

Distribution: 

Native to tropical America, now widely cultivated.

Comments: 

It is interesting that the Yapese name for this species is “sawur,” a 

cognate of the name used in the Eastern Carolines for the fragrant 

native Fagraea. Other islands of Micronesia except Yap have species and 

varieties of Fagraea. It appears that Yap may have lost its native Fagraea, 

during the past time of dense population and deforestation, but today 

retains the name and applies it to the fragrant introduced Plumeria. 

The Palauan name for the introduced Plumeria is “the foreign ellilai” 

or Fagraea berteriana var. galilai, a very fragrant small tree that still 

occurs on Palau.

Plumeria rubra (L.); Plumeria obtusa (L.) 

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 43

Apocynaceae Introduced

(A), (B), and (C) Plumeria rubra leaves 

and flowers.

B

A

C
44 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Palauan: omechidel.

Habitat and description: 

Small, erect trees scattered in native forests or forest edges; trunk 

generally unbranched, inflorescences generally hidden amid top 

leaves. Leaves: simple, entire, alternate and whorled at tip of branch, 

oblanceolate or obovate, large, 30 to 50 cm long by 8 to 16 cm wide, 

deep green, smooth, petiole 8 to 20 mm. Flowers: trees are dioescious 

(male and female flowers borne on separate plants); male flowers 

in a terminal or axillary panicle, female flowers clustered in heads 

on succulent pedicles, calyx none, five petals, five stamens, a few 

staminodes present. Fruit: aggregated into irregular clusters to 20 

cm long; each fruitlet ovoid, acute, longitudinally canaliculate with a 

persistent style.

Distribution: 

Endemic to Micronesia. 

Comments: 

An unusual morphology for the family Araliaceae.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY

Meryta senfftiana Volkens
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 45

(A) Meryta senfftiana top of tree with fruit; (B) whole 

tree; (C) fruit.

B

A

C

Araliaceae Native
46 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: biuwol. 

Ulithian: hul. 

Fais: gol. 

Ifaluk and Woleaian: gul. 

Satawales: kul. 

Palauan: bduul. 

Chamorro: puting.

Habitat and description: 

A potentially large strand tree with stout branches and gray bark. Leaves: 

Simple, entire, crowded at branch ends, long and leathery, 15 to 50 cm 

long by 8 to 24 cm wide, obovate, dark green and shiny. Flowers: large 

fragrant flowers bloom in evening, fall the next morning, with four white 

petals 7 to 8 cm long by 3 to 4 cm wide and a mass of white stamens 

that are pink at the tips and united at the base. Fruit: large, 10 to 12 cm, 

squared and box-like at the top and angled to a blunt tip with a persistent 

calyx.

Distribution: 

Throughout Micronesia and from east Africa through tropical Asia to 

the Pacific, but not as far as Hawaii.

Comments: 

More common in outer islands than on mainland Yap; seeds and other 

parts contain saponin, which is toxic to fish. Used in some medicines. 

The petals and stamens of the flowers fall off in the morning. 

Barringtonia asiatica (L.) Kurz

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 47

Barringtoniaceae (now Lecythidaceae) Native

A

(A) Barringtonia asiatica flower buds; (B) leaves and fruit.

B
48 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: wathol; watol. 

Palauan: koranges. 

Chamorro: langasat. 

Chuukese: kun; guon; sun. 

Pohnpean: winmarr. 

Kosraean: kaiengal.

Habitat and description: 

A small- to medium-size tree found in wet areas, along streams, freshwater swamps, and the landward edge of mangroves if there is fresh 

water. Leaves: simple, entire, crowded at branch ends, about 15 to 45 

cm long by 6 to 18 cm wide, elliptic-obovate, acuminate. Flowers: on 

long hanging racemes, with white to pink petals and numerous pink to 

red, and sometimes white, stamens with yellow anthers. Fruit: ellipsoid, 

about 4 to 7 cm long, somewhat angled (squarish), with two to four 

persistent sepals at the end.

Distribution: 

Throughout Micronesia and from east Africa through Indo-Malaysia to 

Polynesia.

Comments: 

The flower stamen color varies from white to dark red with white petals. 

Children use fruits used to produce “soap bubbles.” Barringtonia edulis 

has been introduced to Yap but is not common.

Barringtonia racemosa (L.) Spreng.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 49

(A) Barringtonia racemosa rosette of leaves, with inflorescence; (B) flowers; 

(C) sprouted seeds; (D) trunk.

Barringtoniaceae (now Lecythidaceae) Native

B

A

C

D
50 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: rriyou. 

Palauan: rriu.

Habitat and description: 

A rangy, medium-size tree 

growing along the inner 

margin of mangroves and 

other brackish and fresh 

water areas subject to tidal 

influence. Trunk often tall 

and narrow, deeply furrowed. Leaves: compound: 

one imparipinnate (one pinnate with odd leaf at tip), 

with seven to nine leaflets, 

each about 6 to 22 cm long 

by 3 to 10 cm across. Flowers:

long, white, tubular and funnel shaped, about 20 cm long, divided into 5 segments at the tip. Fruit:

a long flattened pod about 25 to 60 cm long by 2 to 3 cm across, becoming brown and splitting at maturity to release flat squarish seeds with 

winged margins.

Distribution: 

Within Micronesia occurring naturally only in Yap and Palau; outside of 

Micronesia, India through Malaysia to New Guinea.

Comments: 

An indicator of brackish to fresh water swamps. Rriyou is a night 

bloomer. Flowers open toward dusk and remain open all night. The long 

tubular corolla falls off the next morning, leaving a long style with the 

ovary that develops into the seed pod. It is thought to be cross-pollinated 

but the pollinator is not known. The stigma (see photo D) closes if 

touched and remains closed for a while, after which it reopens.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY

Dolichandrone spathacea (L.f.) K. Schum.
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 51

Introduced

(A) Dolichandrone spathacea tree 

in habitat; (B) buds; (C) flower in 

bloom; (D) flower stamens and 

open pistil; (E) seed pod.

A B

C

D

E

Barringtoniaceae (now Lecythidaceae)
52 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: African tulip tree.

Habitat and description: 

A medium-size tree with a tall, fluted trunk and short branches resulting in a narrow crown; planted or naturalized and growing in areas of 

secondary vegetation and at edges of forests, now mostly eradicated as an 

invasive species on Yap. Leaves: compound, 1-pinnate with odd leaflet 

at tip, large, to 45 cm long, bearing 7 to 19 large leaflets elliptic or ovate 

with conspicuous veins. Flowers: large, clusters of showy red flowers 

borne above leaves. Fruit: flattened blackish capsules 15 to 20 cm long by 

4 to 5 cm wide, containing heart-shaped seeds with thin wings.

Distribution: 

Native to tropical Africa but now planted widely as an ornamental.

Comments: 

A fast-growing tree that has become naturalized and is spreading. It 

grows from seeds, which may be windborne, from cuttings, and by resprouting from damaged trunks, becoming invasive on many islands.

This tree may have been eradicated from Yap but is included for reference.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY

Spathodea campanulata Beauv.
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 53

Bignoniaceae (formerly Lecythidaceae) Introduced

B

A

(A) and (B) Spathodea campanulata tree.
54 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: kapok tree. 

Yapese: batey (cotton). 

Palauan: kalngebard. 

Chamorro and Carolinian: algodon (derived from Spanish for cotton). 

Habitat and description: 

A tall tree with a straight spiny trunk and layers of horizontal branches 

(“pagoda branching” less obvious after typhoon damage). Leaves: 

palmately compound with five to nine lanceolate leaflets that fall just 

before the fruits ripen. Flowers: clusters of cream or pale pink five-parted 

flowers clustered on branchlets. Fruit: oblong pods that hang from 

leafless tree and split open to release flattened round seeds embedded 

in cottony fibers.

Distribution: 

The genus is thought to be of tropical American origin, spreading to 

West Africa; the commonly cultivated and naturalized variety is thought 

to be a hybrid. Widespread in Micronesia and elsewhere in the Pacific.

Comments: 

A tall tree that drops its leaves, leaving fruit pods hanging like drying 

fish. The cotton-like fiber from the fruit is buoyant and used for pillows, 

insulation, and life vests. Trunk yields fiber and lightweight lumber. 

Used medicinally, and young pods are eaten. Oil is extracted from seeds.

Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 55

(A) Ceiba pentandra tree; (B) tree with mature pods showing 

white fibers.

Bombacaceae 

(now a subfamily of Malvaceae) Introduced

B

A
56 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: gonow. 

Ulithian: halau. 

Woleaian: gulu. 

Ifaluk: galu. 

Satawalese: alu. 

Chamorro: niyoron.

Habitat and description: 

Small- to medium-size tree, 

generally along coast, with 

orange flowers. Trunk: pale grey with slightly fissured bark. Leaves: 

simple, juvenile leaves with toothed margin; mature leaves with entire to 

wavy margins, medium to light green, ovate to elliptic, 5 to 20 cm long 

by 4.5 to 15 cm wide, four to six lateral nerves; petiole 2 to 8 cm. Flowers:

orange, tubular with flared petals, in few-flowered corymbs borne on 

branches or terminally. Fruit: ellipsoid, 2 to 3 cm long, with persisting 

sepals and two to three corky seeds.

Distribution: 

A coastal plant found throughout Micronesia, Indomalaysia-Pacific, 

East Africa, and Madagascar.

Comments: 

An attractive tree with flowers. Wood is soft but durable and has 

alternating light and dark bands, making interesting carvings. 

Tree should be planted more. Propagated by seeds or cuttings.

Cordia subcordata Lam.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 57

(A) Cordia subcordata tree; (B) flower and fruit.

Boraginaceae Native

B

A
58 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonyms: 

Messerschmidia argentea (L.) I. M. Johnst.; 

Heliotropium foertherianum Diane & Hilger.

Local and common names: 

English: velvet leaf, tree heliotrope. 

Yapese: chen. 

Ulithian, Fais, Woleaian, Ifaluk, and Satawalese: chel. 

Palauan: rirs. 

Carolinian: tchel. 

Chamorro: hunik. 

Chuukese: amoneset. 

Pohnpean: titin. 

Kosraean: sral. 

Marshallese: kiden. 

Hawaiian: tahinu.

Habitat and description: 

A shrub to medium-sized strand tree with a characteristically curved 

trunk and thick counterpoint torqued branches, like an overgrown 

bonsai tree; bark deeply furrowed, crown rounded. Leaves: simple, 

entire, spiralled into rosettes at tip of branches, silvery white with 

fine pubescence, soft and fleshy. Flowers: terminal inflorescence with 

“fiddlenecks” of small white flowers with black anthers. Fruit: small 

and round with two seeds.

Distribution: 

Throughout Micronesia, especially on atolls and along beaches, a 

widespread Indo-Malaysia strand plant.

Comments: 

Uncommon on mainland Yap but a hardy survivor on atolls, where 

it is common in the beach strand.

Tournefortia argentea L.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 59

(A) Tournefortia argentea tree; 

(B) terminal rosette of leaves 

with inflorescence; (C) bark; 

(D) trunk showing branching 

pattern.

Boraginaceae Native

B

C

D

A
60 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: 

Crateva speciosa Volk.

Local and common names: 

English: garlic pear. 

Yapese: abiuuch; abiich. 

Palauan: edebsungel. 

Ulithian: iabwuch. 

Woleaian: yafuch. 

Satawalese: afur. 

Chuukese: abuts. 

Pohnpean: apoot.

Habitat and description: 

A small tree found in coastal villages, along paths, and in agroforest; 

especially common in Yap’s atolls where the fruit is appreciated. 

Branches with conspicuous lenticels. Leaves: compound tripinate, 

petiole 10 to 15 cm long, leaflets ovate acute, rounded at base, about 

10 cm long by 4 cm wide, petioles of leaflets short, about 2 to 3 mm. 

Flowers: in terminal or axillary corymbs near ends of branches, borne 

above leaves; petals white, ovate, unequal in size, stalked; largest petal 

about 3.5 cm in length; stamens numerous, unequal in length, longer 

than petals. Fruit: ovoid to elongate cylindrical, 6 to about 15 cm long, 

seeds enveloped in fleshy pulp; large varieties generally seedless.

Distribution: 

Throughout Micronesia but especially common in Yap and other 

Caroline atolls; also from Himalayan India and Burma to Malaysia 

and Tuamotus.

Comments: 

A lovely tree of agroforests, spectacular when in flower, but blooming 

for only a short period. New flowers are white, becoming cream-colored, 

sometimes used in nunu leis. There are two main varieties on Yap: a 

variety with small fruits with seeds used medicinally, and a seedless 

variety with larger fruit. Fruit has a sweet, musky garlic smell. Delicious 

boiled with coconut milk; especially appreciated in Yap atolls.

Crataeva religiosa G. Forst

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 61

(A) Crataeva religiosa flowering branch: (B) flower; (C) fruit.

B

A

C

Capparidaceae (now Capparaceae) Native
62 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: 

Casuarina litorea L.

Local and common names: 

English: ironwood tree.

Yapese: natch. 

Palauan: ngas. 

Carolinian: weighu. 

Chamorro: gago. 

Chuukese and Pohnpean: weku.

Habitat and description: 

Generally a coastal tree but also found in savannas and disturbed areas, tall and pine-tree-like in appearance. Leaves: small and scale-like, 

formed between jointed stems that appear like “pine needles” but are 

actually photosynthetic branches. Flowers: separate but often borne on 

same branch; male flowers are in catkins at the ends of branches, female 

flowers are borne along the branch and form little cone-like fruits that 

open to release winged seed.

Distribution: 

Native from Pacific islands to India, Australia, and islands of Malesia.

Comments: 

Wood is very heavy, red, and hard to work, but makes good fuel. Used 

medicinally. Known to children as “the singing tree” because of the 

sound produced as the wind blows through its leaves.

Casuarina equisetifolia L.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 63

Casuarinaceae Native

(A) Casuarina equisetifolia

trees; (B) seed cones; 

(C) branchlets with 

scale-like leaves.

B

A

C
64 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonyms: 

Cyclandrophora laurina (A. Gray) Kosterm.;

Parinarium laurina A. Gray; 

Paranari glaberrimum sensu auct. non Hassk.

Local and common names: 

Yapese: adid. 

Palauan: agritin. 

Chuukese: ais; gritin. 

Pohnpean: ais.

Habitat and description: A 

medium- to large-size tree of 

lowland forest, often growing 

together in thickets. Trunk:

short, crown dense. Leaves: 

leathery, glabrous, lustrous, elliptic, base rounded, tip generally pointed, 

10 to 15 cm long, 3 to 6 cm wide, 10 to 15 pairs side nerves, young leaves 

tinged pink and pendant, petiole dark, 5 cm, pubescent. Flowers: short 

axillary racemes, hairy, showy, to 2.5 cm across, fragrant, stamens 

20 to 30, filaments connate at base; calyx greenish brown with long 

hairs; to 2.5 cm across. 5-cleft, woody, tomentose. Fruit: large, globose 

to ellipsoidal nut 5 to 10 cm long, brown with small warts; thick wall 

containing a hard kernel.

Distribution: 

In Micronesia: Palau, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae. Also found in 

the Philippines, Borneo, Malesia, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and Fiji.

Comments: 

The Yapese name “yalad” is used for a similar tree with smaller fruit. In 

Yap, oil from seed is used in a special body lotion; in Palau, oil is mixed 

with red earth and used in painting canoes. The leaves adhere to twigs 

indefinitely, and, in Fiji, leafy branches are used for thatching outside 

walls of houses. The Mayo Clinic has recently tested an alcohol extract 

from this species and found that it has antibacterial properties against 

gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus 

aureus. 

Atuna racemosa Raf.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 65

Chrysobalanaceae Native

(A) Atuna racemosa tree with 

fruit; (B) leaves, (C) mature fruit; 

(D) underside of leaves.

B

A

C

D
66 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: 

Parinari corymbosa (Bl.) Miq.

Local and common names: 

Yapese: not confirmed; yalad and pigau have been suggested. 

Palauan: bkau.

Habitat and description: 

A potentially large tree of native forests, with a slightly tapering bole, 

buttresses not pronounced and deep rounded crown often of dense 

subcrowns. Bark: fawn to grey, scaly with large squares or elongate, 

thin, loose-hanging scales: large lenticels. Inner bark: hard, gritty, deep 

purplish red or brownish red, heartwood red, merging into narrow fawn 

sapwood; very hard and dense. Twigs black with pale lenticels, young 

branches and leaves pubescent. Leaves: simple, entire, alternate, leathery, 

with a small pair of nectar glands at the connection with petiole (see 

photo); on tightly clustered twigs, leaves closely overlapping, almost like 

a broom. Petiole 5 mm long, leaf lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate about 

10 by 2.5 cm, base rounded, apex with long narrow point, both sides 

of leaf often fold upward from midrib, about 10 pairs of lateral veins 

connected at extremities, veins distinct on both sides of leaf. Flowers: in 

big axillary, corymbose panicles, about 5 by 5 cm, showy, 0.8 cm across, 

white, scented. Fruit: a cylindrical ellipsoidal nut to 20 mm long, 15 mm 

in diameter, larger toward tip, with persistent calyx. Ripens yellow green 

then dries black.

Distribution: 

In Micronesia: Yap and Palau; also Australia, Papua New Guinea, 

Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and other areas. Although widely 

distributed, it is not common and this tree is on the IUCN Red list 

of threatened species.

Comments: 

This tree is found only in Yap’s dwindling native forest so these few 

areas of remnant forest and this tree should be protected. The fruit is 

a favorite food of pigeons, which are also becoming rare.

Maranthes corymbosa Bl.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 67

Chrysobalanaceae Native

(A) Maranthes corymbosa crown of tree; (B) branch with fruit; (C) fruit; (D) single leaf; 

(E) enlargement showing tiny nectaries at the sides where leaf connects with petiole.

B

A

C

D E
68 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: Alexandrian laurel; beach mahogany. 

Yapese: biyuuch; the name “ftow” is applied to a locally recognized form. 

Ifaluk: rangich. 

Palauan: btaches. 

Chamorro: da’ok. 

Chuukese: rakich. 

Pohnpean: isou; lipas. 

Kosraean: eet; itu. 

Marshallese: lukwej.

In the Philippines, sometimes called palo Maria.

Four members of the Clusiaceae family occur on Yap: Calophyllum 

inophyllumm (“biyuuch”); Gacinia rumiyo, Garcinia volkensii, and 

Mammea odorata (“lubodol”). All have resinous latex and oil glands, 

lack stipules, and have opposite or verticillate (appearing spiraled) 

simple leaves.

Habitat and description: 

Grows to a large tree with a rough, fissured trunk and thick white to 

yellow resin. Leaves: Simple, entire, opposite, up to about 16 by 9 cm, 

thick slightly obovate to oblong leaves with numerous parallel secondary 

veins on each side of the midrib. Petiole: 1 to 2 cm; apical bud composed 

of reduced pair of leaves. Flowers: white with numerous yellow stamens, 

fragrant. Fruit: Round, 3 to 4 cm, with thick rind over one round seed.

Distribution: 

Widespread, throughout Micronesia, Indomalaysia, Africa, Pacific 

Islands; may have been aboriginal introduction to Hawaii.

Comments: 

Some large trees served for many generations as markers of boundaries and historical sites until they were recently cut down for sawmills. 

Biyuuch is Yap’s most important hardwood species. Used for canoes, 

community and family house posts, handicraft, and carvings. Increasingly sawn for lumber. Fruit used medicinally; soot of burnt fruit used 

in tattoo “ink.” Fragrant flowers may be woven into “nunuw” garlands. 

Children often learn to juggle using biyuuch fruit. Fruit bats eat the fruit 

rind and spread the seed resulting in inland groves of biyuuch trees.

Calophyllum inophyllum L.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 69

(A) Calophyllum inophyllum tree in bloom; (B) fruit; (C) trunk showing sap; (D) trunk of 

form called “ftow,” (E) old tree killed by typhoon and wildfire showing branching pattern.

Clusiaceae (formerly Guttiferae) Native

B

A

C

D E
70 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Palauan: tilol.

Habitat and description: 

A medium-size tree with an erect narrow crown scattered or sometimes 

clustered in moist native forest. This tree is characterized by its aerial 

roots arising from the base of the trunk before penetrating the soil. 

Leaves: simple, entire, obovate in shape, arranged opposite, up to about 

16 by 9 cm long, 3 to 4 cm wide, thick and leather-like, round at tip, 

tapering toward base and acute near petiole, lateral veins irregular, 

almost obscure, petiole 8 to 10 mm long, base dilated. Flowers: male 

flowers axillary, in threes to fives, 4-merous, peduncle 2 to 3 mm long, 

petals membraneous, elliptical, acute, concave, 3 mm long; stamens 

numerous, coalesced into a globular mass encircling a rudimentary 

style. Fruit: oblong, 30 mm long, 18 mm in diameter.

Distribution: 

The species is endemic to Yap and Palau, with each island having its 

own endemic variety.

Comments: 

The species name for this tree may be based on the Yapese name often applied to Pentaphalangium volkensii. The two trees have a similar 

crown, but P. volkensii, “remo,” lacks the prop roots and differs in other 

ways.

Garcinia rumiyo Kaneh.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 71

(A) Garcinia rumiyo tree crown; B) trunk with prop roots; (C) leaves and prop roots 

on young trees.

Native, endemic

A B

C

Clusiaceae (formerly Guttiferae)
72 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: 

Pentaphalangium volkensii Lauterb.

Local and common names: 

Yapese: rame; rumea; rimo.

Habitat and description: 

An uncommon tree, occasional in native forest growing to about 25 m 

tall, 50 to 80 cm in diameter, with fairly straight trunk without buttresses 

and thick round, stout branches with prominent leaf scars; bark if injured 

secretes aromatic resin. Leaves: simple, entire, oblong or obovate, dark 

green on upper surface, 12 to 18 cm long, 6 to 8 cm broad, *with leaves 

from base of tree up to 30.3 by 13.8 cm, entire, thick and coriaceous, 

rounded at apex, acute at base, those subtending inflorescence may be 

asymmetric and uneven at base, midrib prominent underneath, lateral 

veins numerous, irregular, almost at right angles to midrib, branching 

toward edge of leaf rather than joining into marginal looped vein, almost 

obscure above, petiole long, 3 to 4 cm long, clasping branch with fleshy 

lobe on upper side. Leaves opposite and generally decussate (arising from 

branch at alternating right angles), but several leaves may be decussate 

and then torque to another angle (see photo). Flowers: dioecious, male tree 

with flowers on a short dichotomously jointed (see photo) dichasial cyme. 

Calyx five, petals five, milky white, stamens five, filaments branched, 

attached to petals. Female flowers axillary, solitary, shortly stalked, petals 

with abortive stamens inside, ovary ovoid, 4-locular, each loculus with one 

ovule. Fruit: ovoid at base, curved and tapering to tip, fleshy, aromatic, 

about 7.5 cm long (8.5 measured on outer curve) with conspicuous pistil 

scars at narrow tip. (*Descriptions in italics are based on recent collections 

MVCF 12,654 male tree, and 12,655 female tree).

Distribution: 

This endemic species is found only in Yap.

Comments: 

The original scientific name of this tree was Pentaphalangium volkensii; 

however, the genus Pentaphalangium has been combined with the genus 

Garcinia so that botanists now call this tree Garcinia volkensii. This is a 

vulnerable tree and to preserve it we must protect both male and female 

trees so that the flowers can be pollinated. The fruit is fragrant, and is 

used in nunuws.

Garcinia volkensii (Ltb.) Kosterm.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 73

(A) Pentaphalangium volkensii crown of tree extending above forest canopy; (B) dark 

trunk without buttresses or prop roots; (C) decussate leaves arising at right angles and 

then torqued; (D) flush of new red leaves; (E) male inflorescence: (F) fruit.

Native, endemic

B

C

D

E

F

A

Clusiaceae (formerly Guttiferae)
74 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: lubodol. 

Palauan: odebisech. 

Chamorro: chopak. 

Pohnpean: luwas.

Habitat and description: 

Small to large tree generally 

growing in coastal areas. 

Trunk: rather erect with a 

straight muscled trunk with 

light-colored bark and thick, 

warty branches angled upward. Leaves: simple, entire, 

opposite, leathery, obovate, rounded at tip and narrow toward base, with 

short (to 13 mm) petioles, midrib broad, yellowish and prominent; veins 

are pinnate and joined into loops near leaf margin; lower leaf lighter than 

upper leaf, which is medium green and glossy. Flowers: borne on branches below leaves and even on trunk, fragrant, with two persistent sepals 

7 to 9 mm, six white petals 10 to 17 mm, and numerous yellow stamens. 

Although they look alike, female flowers have sterile stamens and male 

flowers have sterile pistils. Fruit: obliquely ellipsoid to ovoid, wide at base 

and pointed and curved at tip (see photo), curved, 5 to 10 cm when mature, one seed.

Mammea odorata can be distinguished from Pentaphalangium by the 

presence of terminal leaf buds; lighter, glossier leaves and lighter bark; 

and fruit without pistil scars at tip.

Distribution: 

Coastal throughout Micronesia and areas of Malesia from Java to 

Philippines and east to Fiji.

Comments: 

On Yap, this tree was often left to grow near stone platforms of 

community houses, possibly for its fragrant fruit. Bark is used 

medicinally. Wood hard, light on outside of trunk with reddish 

heartwood that can be used to produce a dye; said to be used in 

Fiji to dye hair orange-brown.

Mammea odorata (Raf.) Kosterm.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 75

(A) Mammea odorata small tree; (B) terminal bud; (C) fruit; (D) bark; (E) Melinda Pinnfen 

wearing nunuw (lei) with a fragrant lubodol fruit.

Clusiaceae (formerly Guttiferae) Native

A B

C

D E
76 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: yiy.

Woleaian: wei. 

Palauan: ngemoel; mekedad. 

Chamorro: nana. 

Chuukese: acioro; wei. 

Pohnpean: wengal. 

Kosraean: oi.

Habitat and description: 

A small- to medium-size tree with dark bark and slender reddish kneeshaped pneumatophore roots covered with pores. Leaves: simple, entire, 

alternate, oblanceolate, rounded at the end and often notched, about 8 to 

12 cm long by 1.5 to 2 cm wide, glabrous, glossy, semi-succulent. Flowers:

clusters of bright red tubular flowers at ends of branches. Fruit: ellipsoid 

and vase-like, ribbed, green maturing black, about 2 cm long with persistent calyx at the distal end.

Distribution: 

Throughout Carolines, Marianas, Marshalls, and Indo-Malaysian region. 

Comments: 

Ben Stone’s comments in the Flora of Guam (Stone 1970) bear repeating: 

“When in flower (this tree) is exceedingly handsome.” The brilliant red 

flowers are used in woven nunuw leis.

Lumnitzera littorea (Jack) Voigt

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 77

Combretaceae Native

(A) Lumnitzera littorea tree in bloom; (B) fissured trunk; (C) pneumatophore roots; 

(D) green fruit and red flowers.

B

A

C

D
78 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: 

Terminalia littoralis Seemann.

Local and common names: 

Yapese and Ulithian: kel. 

Woleaian: gilgul. Ifaluk: kasas. 

Palauan: miich. Chamorro: talisai. 

Philippines: talisai. Chuukese: asas. 

Pohnpean: thipwopu. 

Habitat and description: 

Terminalia catappa is a medium 

to large coastal tree, with branches in whorls resulting in “pagoda 

branching”(less pronounced in typhoon-damaged trees). The branches 

grow horizontally, then turn up at the tip where leaves grow in a tight 

spiral forming a rosette. The main shoot stops growing but two other 

branches arise behind the cluster of leaves, one on each side, and grow 

away from each other in the same flat plane. They turn up and form a 

rosette of leaves, and the process is repeated, resulting in “terminalian 

branching.” Among Yap’s trees this type of branching is also seen in 

Vavaea pauciflora Volk. Leaves: large, 20 to 30 cm long by about 8 to 12 

cm wide, rough, rounded at tip and tapering to very short petioles. They 

cluster near the branch tips and whither red before they fall. Flowers:

clustered without pedicels on axillary flowering spike 6 to 18 cm long, 

small and whitish. Fruit: one-seeded drupes, 3 to 6 cm or more long and 

3 to 4 cm or more wide, obovoid, compressed and often with a keel along 

both sides.

Terminalia samoensis (called “kiel” in Ulithian) is similar but a smaller 

tree or shrub with a small fruit about 2 cm long by 8 mm wide, compressed and without a keel (see photo C).

Distribution: 

Terminalia catappa occurs throughout Micronesia and is widespread in 

the Asian-African tropics. Terminalia samoensis is a Pacific island plant 

that mainly occurs in the outer islands. 

Comments: 

The ripe fruit of both species encloses a delicious nut, the “Pacific 

almond.” Fruitbats eat the rind of the fruit and spread the seeds.

Terminalia catappa L.; Terminalia samoensis Reichinger

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 79

Combretaceae Native

(A) Terminalia catappa whole tree, showing reddish old leaves; (B) Terminalia 

catappa fruit; (C) Terminalia samoensis

with ripening fruit partially eaten; 

(D) inflorescence.

B

C D

A
80 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: 

Diospyros ferrea sensu auct. non (Willd.) Bakh.

Local and common name: 

Yapese: achingal.

Habitat and description: 

Small tree with numerous branches and twigs scattered in native 

forests and thickets, mature bark black; sapwood pale yellowish white, 

heartwood deep black, close grained, polishes well. Leaves: simple, 

entire, alternate, leathery, ovate, elliptic or obovate, smooth, unequal 

in size, 4 to 8.5 mm or more long, lateral veins faint, petiole 2 to 5 mm 

long. Flowers: dioecious (male and female flowers born on separate 

plants), three-parted. Fruit: ellipsoidal, ripens from green to yellow to 

red, 1 cm diameter, one-seeded.

Distribution: 

Yap and Palau in Micronesia; elsewhere tropical Africa and Asia, 

Malaysia to tropical Australia. Micronesian varieties may be unique to 

Yap and Palau.

Comments: 

A kind of ebony, but Yap’s trees are generally too small for most uses.

Diospyros elliptica (Forst.) P.S. Green

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 81

(A) Diospyros elliptica branch with fruit; (B) ripe red fruit; (C) trunk; (D) close up of 

yellow fruit.

Ebenaceae Native

B

A

C

D
82 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: 

Drypetes carolinensis Kaneh.

Habitat and description: 

A shrub to medium-size tree of native forest. Leaves: simple, shallowly 

serrated, with undulating margin, alternate, coriaceous, elliptic, tapering 

to a narrow tip and uneven at base, blade slightly assymetric with two 

sides being slightly unequal in size, mature leaves 7.8 to 9.7 cm long by 

2.9 to 3.3 cm wide, lateral veins faint, about six to eight, slender, curvedascending, becoming faint before reaching margin of leaf blade, petiole 

about 1 cm long. Flowers: in axillary clusters, male flowers with central 

interstaminal disk, ovary 1-locular, style unlobed and dilated (flower 

characteristics of genus from Smith [1981]). Fruit: axillary, apparently 

solitary, oblong-elliptic 2.8 cm long by 1.1 cm wide when still green; 

pedicels about 0.9 cm long.

Distribution: 

Endemic to Yap.

Comments: 

The description above gives characters of specimen, MVCF 12,658, 

combined with some characteristics of the genus given in Smith (1981) 

for features of the genus, including flowers that were not available from 

the specimen.

Drypetes yapensis Tuyama

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 83

Native, endemic

Euphorbiaceae 

(now Putranjivaceae)

(A) Drypetes branch: (B) branch showing 

uneven size leaves uneven at base; (C) fruit; 

(D) underside of single leaf showing undulating margin and faint veination. 

A

B C

D
84 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: blinding mangrove; milky mangrove. 

Yapese: bat’. 

Palauan: ias. 

Chuukese: losus; rosus.

Habitat and description: 

Small tree of coasts, often near mangroves where there is a firm substrate. Trunk: Whitish with vertical furrows, soft, with acrid milky sap. 

Leaves: simple, entire, alternate, ovate to obovate, 6 to 11 cm by 3.5 to 7 

cm wide, dark green and glossy above, base with a gland on each side of 

the petiole; old leaves turn orange, and at times most leaves of tree turn 

orange-red and fall. Flowers: Male and female flowers borne on separate 

trees (dioescious), aromatic, male flowers born in catkins, 3.5 to 10 cm 

long, female flowers born in racemes 1.5 to 3.5 cm long. Fruit: a 3-lobed 

capsule, 8 mm in diameter. 

Distribution: 

Yap, Palau, Chuuk, Marianas, and from India to Polynesia.

Comments: 

If the bark is scratched or leaves broken, irritating latex is secreted; 

the sap or even smoke from burning wood of this tree is very irritating 

to the eyes.

Excoecaria agallocha L.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 85

Euphorbiaceae Native

(A) Excoecaria agallocha leaves and bark; 

(B) male inflorescence; (C) female tree 

with fruits; (D) female tree with senescent 

leaves turning orange as fruit develops.

B

A

C

D
86 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: 

Phyllanthus sp.

Local and common names: 

Yapese: ngumol. 

Palauan: ngolm. 

Pohnpean: mwehk.

Habitat and description: 

A small- to medium-size tree growing in open areas, forest edges, and 

within agroforests and native forest, generally densely foliated with a 

rounded or irregular crown. Leaves: simple, entire, alternate, elliptic, 

may be unequal in size and variable generally about 5 to 12 cm in length, 

sometimes asymmetric, petiole 3 to 10 mm, sometimes reddish, young 

leaves reddish. Flowers: small and yellow. Fruit: a flattened round capsule divided into sections, and splitting to reveal red seeds.

Distribution: 

Yap, Palau, Chuuk, Pohnpei.

Comments: 

Glochidion ramiflorum, as this tree has generally been known, is a variable species that some botanists split into a number of species. It is treated here as one, somewhat variable, species. A second rare species may 

occur on Yap. Palau and Pohnpei have more distinct species. It is used 

medicinally and, because of its rough bark, is a good support for growing Piper betle (“gabuey” or pepper leaves) vines to chew with betel nut. 

Based on DNA studies, this tree may be in the genus Phyllanthus in the 

family Phyllanthaceae and the species yet to be confirmed.

Glochidion ramiflorum Forst. f

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 87

Native

(A) Glochidion ramiflorum

tree showing branching 

pattern (with leaves resprouting from main 

branches after defoliation 

by Typhoon Sudal); (B) 

fissured trunk; (C) closeup 

of leaves with flowers; 

(D) branches with flowers 

and ripe fruit.

Euphorbiaceae 

(now Phyllanthaceae)

A B

C

D
88 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: bith. 

Palauan: bedel. 

Chuukese: aput.

Habitat and description: 

A common small- to medium-size tree of disturbed areas and forest 

edges; irregularly branched shrubby trees with peltate leaves. Leaves: 

simple, with shallowly toothed and somewhat wavy margins, alternate; 

generally shallowly tri-lobed, about 10 to 20 cm long, soft and hairy, 

peltate (petiole joining leaf blade within margins rather than at edge), 

with three main veins radiating from point of attachment. Flowers:

Trees are dichotomous (male and female flowers on separate trees), both 

axillary, with male trees bearing tiny whitish pollen bearing flowers on 

stalks, and female trees bearing inflorescence within small modified 

leaves (see photos); seeds a multiparted capsule about 1 cm wide.

Distribution: 

Yap, Palau, Chuuk, with another variety found in Pohnpei and Kosrae.

Comments: 

Macaranga carolinensis is a common secondary “bandage tree” that 

grows up in disturbed areas, rapidly forming a canopy and reducing 

soil erosion. Small plain white-eye birds (Zosterops conspicillatus) often 

chatter about in this tree and may be responsible for its pollination and 

widespread occurrence. In Palau, the name of the tree is the same as the 

bird. Used medicinally, and also known as the “toilet paper tree.”

Macaranga carolinensis Volkens

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 89

Euphorbiaceae Native

(A) Macaranga carolinensis tree; (B) female 

inflorescence with maturing capsules; 

(C) male inflorescence; (D) leaves from 

below with light shining through, showing 

veination; (E) scan of underside of leaf.

B

C

D

E

A
90 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: 

Mallotus tiliifolius (Blume) Müll.-Arg.

Local and common name: 

Yapese: burr.

Habitat and description: 

A shrub to small tree, 1.5 to 10 m high, growing in coastal and open 

areas. Lacks the copious milky sap characteristic of the family. Leaves: 

simple, toothed, opposite, broadly ovate with truncate base and acuminate tip, granulose-glandular below, the first pair of basal nerves arising 

at junction with petiole with descending nerves to leaf margin, dotted 

with stellate (star-shaped) hairs, young leaves densely hairy. Flowers:

inflorescences terminal at inception but soon appearing axillary or lateral, pilose, sepals three to five, pale green to yellow, male flowers with 

numerous stamens, female flowers with usually 3-parted ovary, each 

with a single ovule, styles short, connate, stigmas spreading. Fruit: threeparted, hairy; seeds roundish with fleshy covering.

Distribution: 

Yap, Palau, Chuuk and Pohnpei, Formosa, Phillipines, western Malesia 

east to Fiji.

Comments:

Superficially like Macaranga (“bith”), but can be distinguished by a 

petiole that meets the leaf blade at the margin and the truncated leaf 

base. Trees have a musty smell like that of Pteropus fruit bats (magalaw) 

and are thus sometimes called “burr,” the name applied to a locally 

named variety of Pteropus mariannensis yapensis.

Mallotus papillaris (Blanco) Merr.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 91

Euphorbiaceae Native

(A) Mallotus papillaris 

flowering branches; 

(B) leaf veination; (C) 

inflorescence; (D) leaf 

with truncated base.

B

A

C

D
GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY

92 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: akasia.

Habitat and description: 

Small- to medium-size introduced trees. Leaves: bipinnate as seedlings, 

becoming phylodes (a leaf-like petiole) in adult trees, appearing like 

simple, entire, alternate, often falcate, leathery leaves. Flowers: in cylindrical spikes with many exerted stamens. Fruit: pods.

A number of species have been introduced to Yap, the most common 

recent introductions being Acacia auriculifolia A. Cunn., and less common A. mangium Willd. Acacia confusa Merr., a nicely shaped small 

tree with small leaves was introduced earlier. A group of about 10 other 

acacias were planted near the sports complex and at Touplaiy.

Distribution: 

A very large genus with those recently introduced to Yap in the subgroup Heterophyllum, which are mainly from Australia. Acacia confusa

was introduced before World War II. It is from the northern Philippines 

but is naturalized extensively in Taiwan, Okinawa, and Rota.

Comments: 

Acacia confusa can be found in a few scattered areas where it was 

planted. It does not seem to set seeds and spread on Yap and Palau. 

On Saipan and Rota, however, where seeds were widely scattered for 

erosion control, this tree is very common in some areas. A. auriculifolia

produces many seeds that germinate readily after a fire, forming dense 

thickets in some places.

Acacia auriculifolia A. Cunn., Acacia mangium Willd.,

Acacia confusa Merr., and Acacia spp.
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 93

Introduced

(A) Acacia auriculifolia

tree; (B) A. auriculifolia

trunk; (C) A. auriculifolia

flowering branch; 

(D) A. mangium trunk; 

(E) A. mangium leaves; 

(F) A. confusa crown. 

Fabaceae / Mimosoideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)

STATUS

B C

D E

F

A
94 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: red sandalwood tree; false wiliwili. 

Yapese: churruwa. 

Chamorro: kolales. 

Hawaii: hua’-’ula’ula.

Habitat and description: 

A potentially large spreading tree. Leaves: even bipinnate with three to 

five pinnae, each with five to nine pairs of leaflets about 1.5 to 4.5 cm 

long by 1.2 to 2.3 cm wide. Flowers: with white to pale yellow petals and 

stamens, stamens numerous forming puff ball as is characteristic of the 

mimosoideae group of legumes. Fruit: a curled pod containing bright 

red lens-shaped seeds almost 1 cm in diameter. 

Distribution: 

Introduced throughout Micronesia; Originally from southeastern Asia 

and Malesia but now widely cultivated and naturalized, and producing 

many seedlings.

Comments: 

A somewhat invasive species that can form thickets where seed falls, but 

reported to be good for timber. The bright red seeds are used as beads 

and were used as weights by Arab goldsmiths, being nearly 4 grains each. 

Branches are somewhat brittle and easily broken by storms. Trunk may 

appear twisted (see photo). 

Adenanthera pavonina L.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 95

(A) Adenanthera pavonina upper branches 

showing even bipinnate leaves; (B) trunk; 

(C) seeds with scale in millimeters.

Fabaceae / Mimosoideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)

STATUS

B

A

C

Introduced
96 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: siris tree; white monkeypod; “mother in law’s tongue.” 

Chamorro: trongkon-kalaskas. 

Carolinian: schepil kalaskas. 

Habitat and description: 

A medium to large introduced tree with ascending branches forming a 

rounded crown, trunk grey or brown, produces gum. Leaves: compound, 

evenly bipinnate, with two to four pairs of pinnae and six to eight pairs of 

leaflets. Flowers: borne in loose heads above leaves, white, aging cream, 

fragrant, about 4 to 5 cm in diameter; Fruit: broad leathery pods, about 

30 cm long and 5 to 6 cm wide, that show the seed outline on both sides.

At least two other species of Albizia are reported from Yap: A. retusa, 

and A. rotundata Bl. ex. Miq. Albizia are characterized by their bipinnate leaves, petiole and rachis with glands, and heads of globose flowers, 

which, if you look carefully, are generally 5-merous, usually bisexual, 

calyx toothed, petals connate to or beyond the middle, stamens 10 (per 

flower), connate basally, exerted. Fruit: an indehiscent flat pod.

Distribution: 

Introduced in Micronesia, a paleotropical species, Africa, tropical Asia, 

Australia.

Comments: 

When the pods mature, the tree may lose its leaves, leaving the loose 

seeds in the pods chattering in the wind, thus the name “mother in law’s 

tongue.” The wood is used for cabinet work, like walnut but heavier. In 

Java, the powdered bark is used for soap; in India, bark, seeds, and flowers are used medicinally and the leaves used for fodder.

Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth., and Albizia spp.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 97

(A) Albizia lebbeck tree; 

(B) flower; (C) branches 

with mature seed pods.

STATUS

B

C

A

Fabaceae / Mimosoideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae) Introduced
98 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym:

Biancaea sappan Todaro.

Local and common names: 

English: Indian brazilwood. 

Yapese and in the Philippines, Marianas, and Guam: sibucao.

Habitat and description: 

Small introduced tree now rare on Yap. Trunk and branches have distinctive raised prickles (see photo), similar to Caesalpinia pulcherrima, 

the bushy ornamental “caballero” or “pride of Barbados,” called “long 

tail” on Yap. Leaves: even bipinnate up to 50 cm in length, with about 20 

pairs of pinnae, each with 10 to 15 pairs of small, medium-green leaflets, 

each less than 2 cm long. Flowers: long terminal racemes of showy yellow 

or red and yellow flowers. Fruit: Seed pod is large with a distinctive beak 

at the far tip (see photo), about 7.5 to 10 cm long by 4 cm wide, hard and 

glossy, with three to four seeds.

Distribution: 

Native to India but introduced to other areas for its showy flowers and 

red heartwood, which is used to make dyes. It is also used medicinally.

Comments: 

The name “sibucao” used by old timers on Yap may have been derived 

from the name used in the Marianas or Philippines. This small tree 

was probably introduced to Yap in the 1800s during the Spanish 

administration of Yap. Its wood is said to have been exported from Yap 

to Japan prior to World War II. When the wood is boiled in water, the 

water becomes red. It is used medicinally and to make dyes and ink. 

Caesalpinia sappan L.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 99

Introduced

(A) Caesalpinia sappan leaves 

and immature seed pods; 

(B) spiny trunk; (C) beaked 

seed pod and seeds.

Fabaceae / Caesalpinioideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)

STATUS

B

A

C
100 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: manbul. 

Palauan: kalengui; ketenguit. 

Chamorro: gulos.

Habitat and description: 

A medium to large shrubby tree generally growing in wet areas such as 

inner edge of mangroves and along rivers and other undisturbed areas. 

Leaves: 1-pinnate with four leaflets, one large pair at tip of leaf, and another pair of small leaves at the base of the leaf. Leaflets are not symmetric with outer margin more curved than inner margin like a goats foot; 

young leaves often limp and whitish or pink (see photo C of seedling). 

Flowers: white, in short axillary racemes or on stem. Fruit: roundish, 

about 3 to 4 cm in diameter and with ridges and grooves that make them 

resemble little brains.

Distribution: 

Yap, Palau, Marianas, Pohnpei, Kosrae, and from Malaysia to 

Western Pacific.

Comments: 

A different species, Cynometra yokotai, is listed for Chuuk.

Cynometra ramiflora L.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 101

(A) Cynometra ramiflora tree; (B) flowers; (C) seedling showing blush of new leaves; 

(D) trunk; (E) leaves and seed.

Agnes Rinehart

STATUS

A B

C

D E

Native

Fabaceae / Caesalpinioideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)
102 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: flame tree. 

Spanish/Chamorro: arbol (or atbut) del fuego. 

Carolinian: fayarbaw. 

French: royal poinciana.

Habitat and description: 

A medium-size tree with light gray bark and a rounded spreading crown. 

Leaves: even bipinnate, whole leaf about 30 to 60 cm long, with 10 to 20 

pairs of pinnae, each with 25 to 35 pairs of leaflets; stipules bipinnate 

with three to six pairs of leaflets. Flowers: large, fiery red flowers with 

the uppermost petal all red or yellow or white with red streaks, born in 

clusters at branch tips. Fruit: a large, flat pod, about 50 to 60 cm long, 

containing numerous grey-brown seeds.

Distribution: 

Planted and generally naturalized throughout Micronesia, originally 

from Madagascar but now planted widely in the tropics.

Comments: 

An increasingly planted ornamental tree on Yap with spectacular red 

flowers.

Delonix regia (Boj.) Raf

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 103

(A) Delonix regia branch 

in bloom; (B) flowers, 

(C) petals below tree; 

(D) tree in bloom.

Introduced

Fabaceae / Caesalpinioideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)

STATUS

B

A

C

D
104 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: 

Desmodium umbellatum (L.) DC.

Local and common names: 

Chamorro: palaga hititai.

Habitat and description: 

A shrub to shrubby small tree generally growing in rocky coastal areas. 

Leaves: trifoliate (compound with three leaflets), on 2 to 4 cm long 

petioles, each leaflet ovate-oblong or oblong-elliptic, light grayish green 

below, about 4 to 8 cm long by 3 to 5 cm wide, middle leaflet larger 

than side leaflets. Flowers: small and white pea-shaped flowers. Fruit:

flat pods 2 to 3 cm long by about 5 mm wide, 1- to 5-jointed, pods 

constricted on both sides between multiple joints containing seeds.

Distribution: 

Yap and throughout Micronesia and elsewhere from Tropical Asia north 

to Taiwan and Okinawa.

Comments: 

A large bush to bushy small tree sometimes seen along causeways or 

rocky coasts in Yap and more common elsewhere in Micronesia. The 

seeds stick to clothing, helping the plant to be spread.

Dendrolobium umbellatum (L.) Benth.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 105

(A) Dendrolobium umbellatum tree; (B) and (C) leaves and flowers.

Introduced

Fabaceae / Papilionoideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)

STATUS

B

A

C
GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY

106 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names for Erythrina variegata var. orientalis: 

English: coral tree, catclaw tree.

Yapese: rarr. 

Chamorro: gaogao.

Habitat and description: 

Medium to large tree with spiny gray trunk and branches. 

Erythrina variegata: Leaves: tripinnate, with long petiole 10 to 12 cm 

long, three leaflets each about 10 to 15 cm long and broad. Flowers:

about 6 cm long, in long racemes up to 20 cm, with dark to scarlet red 

petals, very unequal. Fruit: a knobby, irregularly swollen pod bearing 

red seeds about 1.5 cm long.

Erythrina fusca is less common and can be distinguished by the rounded 

tips of the leaflets (see photo D), and dark, almost purple flowers.

Distribution: 

Erythrina variegata: Throughout Micronesia, especially in outer atolls; 

native to India, found in Asia and many parts of Pacific.

Erythrina fusca: In Micronesia: Yap, Palau, Kapingamarangi, 

Pohnpei, Kosrae, and North Malaya.

Comments: 

Deciduous, sometimes dropping all of its leaves, and then bearing a 

mass of bright red flowers. Sometimes used as an indicator of season. 

The variety variegata, which has leaves that are mottled with yellow, 

was introduced to Pohnpei as an ornamental. This is the first record 

of Erythrina fusca for Yap. Readily sprouts from cutting.

Erythrina variegata var. orientalis (L.) Merr.;

Erythrina fusca Lour.
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 107

(A) crown of Erythrina variegata; (B) base of E. variegata; (C) leaves of E. variegata; 

(D) leaves of E. fusca; (E) trunk of E. fusca.

Native

Fabaceae / Papilionoideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)

STATUS

B

A

C

D E
108 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonyms: 

Paraserianthes falcataria L., 

Albizia falcataria (L.) Fosb., 

Albizia moluccana Miq.

Local and common names: 

English and Yapese: albizia. 

Pohnpean: tuhke karisihn (kerosene tree).

Habitat and description: 

A tall tree with layered subcrowns and mostly smooth, light gray bark 

planted about inhabited areas and in secondary vegetation, not yet 

common on Yap. Leaves: even bipinnate, alternate, whole leaf about 23 

to 30 cm long, with gland below lowest pair of leaflets, 10 to 12 pairs of 

pinnae (side branches bearing leaflets), each with 30 to 40 sessile (no 

stalk), oblong leaflets about 6 to 13 mm long by 3 to 5 mm wide with 

midrib offset to one side. Flowers: in large, branched clusters (panicles), 

20 to 25 cm long, flowers sessile (no stalk), about 13 mm long, whitish, 

with light green bell-shaped five-toothed calyx, greenish white corolla 

6 mm, with five lobes and many stamens. Fruit: narrow, flat pods 10 to 

13 cm long, 2 cm wide, green maturing brown and splitting open; seeds 

15 to 20 oblong bean-like seeds about 6 mm long.

Distribution: 

Recorded by Fosberg et al. (1979) from Palau, but now also found in 

Yap. In Pohnpei it has spread widely in lowlands. Originally from 

Moluccas, New Guinea, New Britain, and Solomon Islands and introduced to other areas. The botanical name has gone through a number 

of changes in recent years.

Comments: 

Introduced to Hawaii and Micronesia as a timber and reforestation 

species. It is very fast-growing, has naturalized, and in Pohnpei is 

spreading. Said to be called “mother of gardens” in New Guinea 

because it springs up on abandoned local gardens and improves soil 

fertility for the next garden cycle.

Falcataria moluccana (Miq.) Barneby & J.W. Grimes 

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 109

(A) Falcataria moluccana tree; 

(B) flowers; (C) branches with 

seed pods.

STATUS

B

C

Introduced

A

Fabaceae / Mimosoideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)
110 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Spanish: madre de cacao.

Habitat and description: 

Small introduced tree generally planted along roads. Bark pale, stems 

ascending. Leaves: 1-pinnate with six to eight pairs of leaflets and a 

terminal leaflet at end, about 3.5 to 8.5 cm long by 2 to 5 cm wide, 

smooth. Flowers: borne on short stiff racemes about 10 cm long, pedicles 

8 to 12 mm long, jointed at tip, pea-shaped as is characteristic of this 

subfamily of legumes, about 2 cm long, petals light to dark pink with 

yellow stripes on standard (broad forward fused petals), dorsal side 

slightly hairy. Fruit: pods 8 to 16 cm long by 1.5 to 1.9 cm wide, with 

two to nine seeds.

Distribution: 

Widely introduced in Micronesia generally through agricultural programs; originally from Mexico, Central America, and Northern South 

America, now widespread.

Comments: 

Widely introduced as an ornamental, green manure, living fence, and for 

shade. The Spanish name “madre de cacao,” (mother of cacao) relates to 

its use as a nurse/shade tree when starting cacao seedlings. Sometimes 

called “mata raton;” seeds and bark used as a rat or mouse poison. Fast 

growing.

Gliricidia sepium Steud.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 111

(A) Gliricidia sepium branches; (B) flowers; (C) leaves.

Introduced

Fabaceae / Papilionoideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)

STATUS

B

A

C
112 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: 

Inocarpus edulis J.R. Forst. & G. Forst.

Local and common names: 

Yapese: buoy. 

Palauan: keam. 

Chamorro: buoy . 

Chuukese: kurrat. 

Pohnpean: marup. 

Kosraean: clark. 

Marshallese: kulak. 

Fiji: ivi.

Habitat and description: 

A large tree with a gnarled, fluted, and buttressed trunk with lots of 

character; common in agroforests, along streams, and in wet areas, 

bearing large round flat bean pods; branches long and drooping. Leaves: 

simple, entire, alternate, oblong, smooth and leathery, 15 to 30 cm long 

by 8 to 14 cm broad, with short petioles. Flowers: born on spikes, small, 

white to yellowish, fragrant; calyx with two to three rounded lobes, 

petals connected at base, male flowers born in clusters close to branch. 

Fruit: a large flattened round pod with 1 seed about 7 to 10 cm long 

by about 7 cm wide and 4 to 5 cm thick, with considerable variation 

between local varieties.

Distribution: 

Throughout Micronesia and Malaysia to Polynesia; probably distributed 

by people.

Comments: 

An important food tree in Yap, the nut being roasted or boiled for food, 

providing a good source of both protein and carbohydrates. Trees bearing only staminate flowers are uncommon and are used for medicine. 

The Chamorro name given in Stone (1970–1971) is probably derived 

from the Yapese name for the few trees present on Guam. 

Inocarpus fagifer (Park.) Fosb.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 113

Introduced

(A) Inocarpus fagifer branch; (B) and (C) leaves and flowers; (D) gnarled old trunk; 

(E) fruit; (F) staminate flowers.

Fabaceae / Papilionoideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)

STATUS

A B

C

D E

F
114 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: thorrot. 

Carolinian: iifil. 

Palauan: dort. 

Chamorro: ifil; ifet.

Chuukese: kuren; tuamis. 

Pohnpean: choyo; show. 

Marshallese: kubok. 

Fiji: vesi.

Habitat and description: 

A medium to large uncommon tree growing at forest edges and in 

secondary areas, with tall, smooth-barked trunk and branches crowded 

toward top producing a rounded crown. Leaves: compound, even pinnate 

with four entire to wavy-margined leaflets 8 to 15 cm long, elliptic and 

asymmetric, medium to dark green with a light midrib. Flowers: borne 

on axillary or terminal panicles, each flower having one flamboyant 

white to pink petal, a long curved style, and three long pink stamens 

above a four-parted green calyx. Fruit: a large, thick, leathery pod 10 

to 30 cm long, elliptic-oblong; with three to six rounded compressed, 

somewhat kidney shaped seeds, about 2.5 cm broad.

Distribution: 

Throughout Micronesia, native from Indian Ocean east 

to Polynesia. Listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened 

Species.

Comments: 

A fine tree, especially valued for its hard and reddish-brown wood that 

is so dense it will not float in seawater. Valued for carvings, bowls, and 

historically, Fijian clubs. Objects made of iifil wood are termite-resistant, 

durable, and can be passed down for generations.

Intsia bijuga (Colebr.) O. Ktze

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 115

Native

(A) Intsia bijuga tree with 

flowers and seed pods; (B) 

smooth trunk; (C) leaves; 

(D) new and old flowers.

Fabaceae / Caesalpinioideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)

STATUS

B

C D

A
116 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: Leucaena glauca (L.) Benth.

Local and common names: 

Yapese: ganinityuwan. 

Palauan: telengtungd. 

Chamorro: tangan-tangan.

Habitat and description: 

A common shrub to small- or medium-size rangy tree growing in disturbed areas. Leaves: compound, even bipinnate, up to about 25 cm long 

with 4 to 9 pairs of pinnae (side branchlets), each with 11 to 17 pairs of 

small leaflets. Flowers: white “puff balls” up to about 3 cm in diameter, 

made up of many flowers with short petals and long white stamens. 

Fruit: long flat pods about 10 to 20 cm long by about 2 cm wide, which 

mature from green to brown, with many flat, oval, shiny dark brown 

seeds.

Distribution: 

Originally from Tropical America, now widespread and found throughout Micronesia, especially on limestone soils.

Comments: 

An introduced species which has naturalized and spread widely, especially in the limestone Marianas. It resprouts from cut stumps, grows 

readily from both seeds and cuttings, and tends to produce pure stands. 

It is used for firewood, charcoal, and green manure (fertilizing mulch). It 

can also be used as an animal fodder, but contains mimosine, a chemical 

that can affect pigs and other animals if they eat it extensively. A giant 

variety has been introduced to Yap, and a native small shrub to wellformed small tree species occurs on Guam. The Yapese name for this 

species refers to its tiny leaflets.

Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) De wit.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 117

(A) Leucaena leucocephala leaves and flowers; (B) leaves and mature seed pods; 

(C) trunk.

STATUS

B

A

C

Introduced

Fabaceae / Mimosoideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)
118 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: 

Pongamia pinnata (L.) Merr.

Local and common names: 

Yapese: ngelak. 

Palauan: kisaks.

Habitat and description: 

Small- to medium-size tree generally growing in coastal areas. 

Trunk: relatively straight, bark dull gray, smooth to slightly fissured. 

Leaves: compound, 1-pinnate with a single leaflet at the tip, about 25 

cm long, with five to nine or two to three pairs of leaflets, each about 

8 to 15 cm long; glabrous, elliptic-oblong, acuminate (coming to a 

tip), relatively light green. Flowers: white, pale pink or lilac, 1.5 to 2 

cm long, in large racemes to 20 cm. Fruit: elliptic-oblong pale brown 

pods with curved beak, 3 to 5 cm long with two 2-cm-long seeds.

Distribution: 

Throughout Micronesia and the Indian to Pacific Oceans.

Comments: 

Medicinal; can be propagated by seeds or cuttings.

Millettia pinnata (L.) Panigrani

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 119

Introduced

(A) Millettia pinnata tree; (B) seedling; (C) mature leaf.

Fabaceae / Papilionoideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)

STATUS

B

A

C
120 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: gangich; lal. 

Palauan: kenges.

Habitat and description: 

A shrub to small erect tree, generally of more open areas and planted 

along paths as a hedge. Leaves: 1-pinnate with leaflets 10 to 20 mm by 

3 to 10 mm; dark green. Flowers: white with purplish tinge with dark 

veins in petals. Fruit: pods constricted between seeds.

Distribution: 

Yap, Palau, Chuuk in Micronesia; also in Indochina.

Comments: 

The popular name “lal” likens the dark-veined petals to fly wings. Introduced to Yap and often planted as a hedge along paths in agroforest and 

in savanna, where it persists and serves to mark the trail. Though hardy 

and persistent, it doesn’t seem to be invasive. Has a strong smell of bean 

plants. Chewed as a treatment for lime burn of the mouth resulting from 

the use of quicklime when chewing betel nut.

Ormocarpum cochinchinense (Lour.) Merr.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 121

(A) Ormocarpum cochinchinense whole shrub; (B) flower; (C) branch tip; 

(D) leaves and flowers.

Introduced

Fabaceae / Papilionoideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)

STATUS

A B

C

D
122 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: 

Pericopsis ponapensis (Hosok.) Hosok.

Local and common names: 

English: nedun tree. 

Palauan: kamanois.

Habitat and description: 

Medium to large trees generally growing along rivers and coast, with 

thin, flaking bark. Leaves: alternate, 1- pinnate, with single tip leaflet 

(imparipinnate) with a slight knee-like swelling at the base of the petiole, 

five to nine leaflets generally alternate, 3 to 9 cm by 2.5 to 5 cm, three 

(on seedling) rounded at base, pointed at tip, smooth (glabrous), may be 

somewhat unequal in size and slightly asymmetric, with about four to six 

veins prominent; petiolule (petiole of leaflet) may be curved or straight. 

Flowers: borne in group axillary or terminal, falling early; flowers about 

2 cm long. Fruit: a large thick pod often constricted between seeds into 

one to three lobes, seeds about 9 to 13 mm, round to elliptical, orange 

brown with a notch at one end (see photo).

Distribution: 

Yap, Palau, and Pohnpei in Micronesia. Also Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua 

New Guinea, and Sri Lanka. It has been so heavily harvested that it is 

now listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Comments: 

Uncommon to rare on Yap. This tree should be protected and planted. 

It has beautiful wood. This tree was initially considered to be endemic 

to Pohnpei by the Japanese botanist Hosokawa, who named it Pericopsis 

ponapensis. The genus is tropical and contains but three species: two in 

tropical Africa, and one species found from Sri Lanka to Micronesia.

Pericopsis mooniana Thw.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 123

(A) Pericopsis mooniana trunk; (B) leaves; (C) seed pod and seeds; (D) crown with 

seed pods.

Native

Fabaceae / Papilionoideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)

STATUS

A B

C

D
124 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: rosewood. 

Yapese: lach. 

Palauan: las. 

Chamorro: nana. 

Philippines: narra. 

Malay: angsana.

Habitat and description: 

A medium to large tree with stout trunk, often buttressed, and 

spreading, rounded crown. Leaves: Compound, 1-odd pinnate, up to 

about 30 cm long, with 6 to 12 alternate oval leaflets, each about 7 to 

11 cm long, 3.5 to 5.5 cm wide, and pointed at the tips. Flowers: bright 

yellow, fragrant, born in clusters above leaves. Fruit: round pods thick 

in the center with thin edges, bearing one to three seeds.

Distribution: 

Indigenous to western Carolines, planted and naturalized in eastern 

Carolines, and widespread in tropical Asia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. 

Comments: 

A fine, strong hardwood, with sticky red sap that “bleeds” when cut 

(see photo D); listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened 

Species.

Pterocarpus indicus Willd. 

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 125

Native

Fabaceae / Caesalpinioideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)

STATUS

(A) Pterocarpus indicus

crown; (B) tree in bloom; 

(C) flowers; (D) cross-cut 

trunk showing red sap. 

B C

D

A
126 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonyms: 

Pithecellobium saman (Jacq.) Benth. in Hook); 

Albizia saman (Jacq.) F. Muell.

Local and common names: 

English: monkeypod. 

Chamorro: trongkon-mames (bean tree). 

Carolinian: filinganga.

Habitat and description: 

A very large, spreading tree with a straight thick trunk and dome-shaped 

crown above robust branches. Crown is often broader than the tree is 

tall. The huge tree in Colonia is a monkeypod tree. Leaves: deep green, 

2-even pinnate, each leaf with two to eight pairs of pinnae, and each 

pinna with four to seven pairs of ovate leaflets, 3 to 6 cm long; Flowers:

borne on loose heads that rise above leaves and appear pink because of 

the numerous bright pink stamens; Fruit: thick pods with a lumpy black 

surface, about 20 cm long by 2 cm wide, containing a sweetish pulp and 

numerous seeds.

Distribution: 

Introduced throughout Micronesia, native to tropical America. 

Brought to Guam by Safford in the early 1900s, and widely planted 

as a shade tree.

Comments: 

The leaves of this tree droop down at night and on cloudy, rainy days; 

wood is used for carving.

Samanea saman (Jacq.) Merr.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 127

(A) Samanea saman tree; 

(B) blooming branches; 

(C) leaf and flower.

STATUS

B

A

C

Introduced

Fabaceae / Mimosoideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)
128 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: gumor. 

Palauan: ukall; ugal.

Habitat and description: 

A tall, robust tree with 

a straight, erect trunk, 

in lowland forest; young 

branches, petioles and 

inflorescences pubescent 

with rusty brown hairs. 

Leaves: even bipinnate with 8 

to 12 pinnae, each with 15 to 

25 leaflets that are elliptical, 

12 mm long by 5 mm wide 

and almost sessile. Flowers:

white to cream, borne in 

short terminal panicles, calyx 

brown, funnel shaped, 3- or 

4-cleft, pubescent externally, 

corolla tubular, 2 cm long, 5-cleft, stamens numerous, bases united 

into a tube. Fruit: a large thick, compressed woody pod, 10 to 15 cm 

long, 5 cm wide; seeds two to five per pod.

Distribution: 

This variety is endemic to Yap; another variety, Serianthes kanehirae var. 

kanehirae occurs in Palau. The species occurs nowhere else in the world.

Comments: 

A fine big tree scattered in lowland forests and along roads where they 

have not been cut; the trunks are prized for making canoes in Palau.

Serianthes kanehirae var. yapensis Fosb.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 129

(A) Serianthes kanehirae var. yapensis tree; (B) flower; (C) trunk; 

(D) seed pod.

STATUS

Endemic

A B

C

D

Fabaceae / Mimosoideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)
130 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Pers.

Local and common names: 

English: the pink variety is sometimes called “hummingbird tree.” 

Phillipines: katuri. 

Habitat and description: 

A sparsely branched small tree with cracked gray bark. Leaves: one evenpinnate to 30 cm long and without hairs, with about 20 to 40 pairs of 

opposite, grayish green blunt leaflets about 2 to 3 cm long on short stems. 

Flowers: hang down from leaf axils, white or deep pink, 7 to 9 cm long. 

Fruit: slender, cylindrical pods 25 to 55 cm long, with many seeds.

Distribution: 

Introduced to Marianas, Palau, Pohnpei, and now Yap. This is the first 

record from Yap. Elsewhere occurs naturally in India and tropical Asia.

Comments: 

A recently introduced tree to Yap, becoming common along roads. 

There are white- and deep pink-flowered varieties of this species. The 

flowers and young pods are edible.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY / SUBFAMILY

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 131

Introduced

(A) Sesbania grandiflora tree; 

(B) leaves; (C) flower buds; 

(D) flowers in bloom.

Fabaceae / Papilionoideae

(family formerly was Leguminosae)

STATUS

B C

D

A
132 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Habitat and description: 

Uncommon small tree of forests, with slender branches that hang downward. Small branches are smooth and bent slightly in a zigzag pattern. 

Leaves: simple, entire, alternate, arranged in two tiers (levels), ovateoblong, 9 to 15 cm long by 4 to 6 cm wide, wavy along margin, pointed at 

tip, rounded at base with fine serrations along margin and small pellucid 

glands in leaf; lateral veins about eight, with veins extending to the apex 

of the teeth along margins which are tipped by a circular gland or hair; 

petiole 1 to 1.5 cm long, small stipules falling early. Fruit: one or two 

shortly stalked, globose or ellipsoidal drupes borne in leaf axils, 1.5 cm 

in diameter with persistent calyx.

Distribution: 

Endemic to Yap.

Comments: 

This tree is relatively rare, and because it is an endemic species it should 

be conserved as part of Yap’s unique natural heritage. Look for small 

pellucid (transparent) glands in the leaves—as is characteristic of this 

family. Pangium edule, “rowal,” is also in the same family. Kanehira 

(1931) indicated that this species is found in Yap and Palau but Fosberg 

et al. (1987) listed it only from Yap, and another species, C. hirtella

Hosok. as being from Palau. We have not yet found and photographed 

this tree so provide a drawing of C. cauliflora and a photograph of the 

Palau species, C. hirtella Hosok. Photos by Ann H. Kitalong (Kitalong, 

DeMeo, and Holm 2008). Used by permission.

Casearia cauliflora Volkens

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 133

Flacourtiaceae (now Salicaceae) Native, endemic

(A) Casearia cauliflora drawing; (B) and (C) photographs of 

Casearia hirtella of Palau.

Ann H. KitalongAnn H. Kitalong

B C

A
134 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: pangi fruit, often called “football fruit.”

Yapese: rowal. 

Palauan: riamel. 

Chamorro: lasret; rauel. 

Pohnpean: durien. 

Habitat and description: 

A medium to large tree 

growing in village agroforests 

and mixed with secondary 

forest. Leaves: simple, entire 

or with three or more lobes, 

alternate, clustered at ends of 

branches, cordate to ovate, 

about 15 to 30 cm long, with long, round petiole equal to the length of 

the leaf blade. Flowers: unisexual, male flowers borne in clusters, female 

flowers solitary, about 5 cm wide, with two to three calyx lobes, five to 

six petals; male flowers with many stamens, female flowers with five to 

six staminodes (nonfunctional stamen) alternate with the petals, stigma 

sessile. Fruit: large and ovoid, 15 to 30 cm long and about half as wide, 

with rough brown skin, filled with pulp that is yellow when ripe, with a 

somewhat musky smell but delicious; many large compressed seeds 

about 5 cm long are embedded in the pulp.

Distribution: 

Yap, Palau, Pohnpei, Marianas; originally from Malaysia.

Comments: 

Sometimes called “durian,” perhaps because it tastes mildly like durian, 

but the durian fruit is spiny and much stronger smelling. The pulp of the 

ripe fruit is delicious; however, the seeds, unripe fruit, and other parts 

contain prussic (hydrocyanic) acid, which is quite poisonous. Nonetheless, Yapese of the past learned to leach the poison out of the seeds in 

running water and by cooking to produce a tasty food. In Malay and the 

Moluccas, oil is expressed from the seed, and the crushed seed has been 

used as an insecticide. It has also been used medicinally.

Pangium edule Reinw. ex. Bl.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 135

Introduced

(A) Pangium edule branch; 

(B) flower; (C) fruit; (D) inflorescences.

Agnes Rinehart

Agnes Rinehart

Agnes Rinehart

Agnes Rinehart

Flacourtiaceae (now Achariaceae)

A B

C

D
136 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonyms:

Hernandia peltata Meissn.; 

Hernandia sonora sensu non L.

Local and common names: 

Yapese: gachal; gichal. 

Palauan: doko. 

Chamorro: nonag.

Habitat and description: 

A large, handsome tree of 

coastal areas, especially atolls. 

Trunk: silvery gray, slightly 

fissured or smooth, short 

basal buttresses and a spreading 

rounded crown. Leaves: simple, 

entire, alternate, cordate (heartshaped), glossy and peltate 

(with petiole meeting leaf within the margin), often with a 

red dot where petiole and leaf join, 12 to 40 cm long by 10 to 30 cm wide, 

petioles 10 to 40 cm. Flowers: creamy white to silver white in axillary 

clusters on short stem, with fleshy bracts. Fruit: one black elliptical nut 

about 2.5 cm, within a round sphere with a round hole in the end that 

ripens from greenish to white and pinkish, and is fragrant like apples.

Distribution: 

Native to coastal strand throughout Micronesia and also occurs from 

Africa to Asia, Australia and Polynesia.

Comments: 

Occasionally found in coastal areas on mainland Yap, more commonly 

in outer islands. Wood is soft and light.

Hernandia nymphaeifolia (Presl.) Kubitski

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 137

(A) Hernandia nymphaefolia tree; 

(B) branch with pink spherical 

“lantern” bracts; (C) cluster of fruit; 

(D) seedling with red dot where 

petiole meets leaf; (E) trunk.

Hernandiaceae Native

A B

C

D

E
138 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: gangiy. 

Palauan: ngis. 

Chamorro: nigas. 

Marshallese: kone; kungi. 

Habitat and description: 

A shrub to small tree of rocky coasts. Much branched and often sculpted 

by wind and salt spray. Leaves: simple, entire, opposite, small and narrow 

oblong, elliptic leaves about 1 to 2.5 cm long by up to 1.5 cm wide; dull, 

gray green, crowded on branches. Flowers: delicate and ephemeral, borne 

singly in axils, about 1.5 cm wide, white with a bell-shaped calyx-tube, 

with six thin, white, wavy petals and 12 stamens in two series. Fruit:

an obovoid leathery capsule about 6 to 7 mm long, opening by a lid, 

containing many angular, smooth seeds.

Distribution: 

Throughout Micronesia, especially on atolls and limestone islands; 

ranges from East Africa to the Pacific.

Comments: 

This plant is the essence of windswept rocky beaches and coasts, 

surviving wind and salt-spray and generally sculpted by these forces 

into low, semi-prostrate shrubs with strong root systems gripping the 

rocks. Because it often occurs within the intertidal zone, this tree is 

technically a mangrove. In milder conditions it can grow into a small 

tree. The wood is very hard and was used in the past for hooks and 

spears.

Pemphis acidula Forst.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 139

Lythraceae Native

(A) Pemphis acidula shrubs along shore; (B) flower and seed pods; (C) small tree at 

water’s edge.

B

A

C
140 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: sea hibiscus. Yapese: 

gal’. Palauan: ermal. Chamorro: 

pago. Chuukese: shrifa; sinifu. 

Pohnpean: kalau. Marshallese: 

loo; ko.

Habitat and description: 

A small to medium-size 

tree common in secondary 

vegetation, secondary 

forest, and wet areas. Trunk 

generally twisted with many 

low branches growing in 

all directions, making it difficult to walk through a hibiscus thicket. 

Wood is soft and lightweight with a fibrous, mucilaginous bark. 

Leaves: Simple, entire, alternate, cordate, with palmate veination, with 

a velvety pubescence (fine hairs) when young and about 20 cm by 20 

cm when mature, dark green above and greyish-white below with fine 

stellate (branched like a star) hairs below, petioles 3 to 12 cm long. 

Flowers: in terminal or axillary cymes, about 10 cm wide, yellow with 

a maroon-purple eye when newly opened; with petals becoming pink 

to salmon after they fall; stipules, bracts and 10- to 12-bracted epicalyx 

conspicuous, pedicles 1 to 3 cm long. Fruit: capsules ovoid-globose, 

about 2.5 cm long by 2 cm wide, pubescent, gray-brown, seeds brownish 

black, about 15. At least two varieties are recognized locally.

Distribution: 

Throughout Micronesia and pantropical.

Comments: 

The fibrous bark is used throughout the Pacific for cordage. Uses in Yap 

include fibers for nets and dancing “grass” skirts. In outer islands, gal’

fibers are combined with banana fibers in the garment known as a lavalava. Bark is used to squeeze coconut cream in Kosrae and to squeeze 

pounded Piper methysticum roots to make sakau in Pohnpei. Widely 

recognized by Pacific peoples for its contributions to soil fertility. The 

old fallen flower is as beautiful as the newly opened flower.

Hibiscus tiliaceous L. 

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 141

Malvaceae Native

(A) Hibiscus tiliaceous tree; (B) new flower; (C) fallen flower; (D) seed pods; (E) leaf.

B

A

C

D E
142 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: Portia tree. 

Yapese: bungbeng; bengbeng; gabengbeng. 

Palauan: baderirt. 

Chamorro: banalo. 

Carolinian: pule. 

Hawaiian: milo.

Habitat and description: 

A small- to medium-size 

tree generally of coastal 

areas, whitish bark with 

dark furrows, and a thick 

crown. Leaves: rather 

stiff, heart-shaped, 7 to 

12 cm long and with the 

midrib and two basal veins 

beginning where the long 

2.5- to 7.5-cm petiole connects to the leaf. Flowers: large and yellow, with 

or without dark red marking at center, similar to Hibiscus tiliaceous but 

not opening as wide, fading to pink and remaining attached to branch at 

the end of the day. Fruit: roundish, flattened top to tip, about 2 to 4 cm 

in diameter, containing a yellow sap.

Distribution: 

Throughout Micronesia and widespread in old world (Africa, India, 

Asia) tropics.

Comments: 

Wood is reddish and hard; a stick can be pushed through the flattened 

top and out the bottom of the rounded fruit to make a top, and the cut 

fruit can be used to print circles with yellow latex. Can be planted by 

cuttings.

Thespesia populnea (L.) Sol. ex Correa

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 143

(A) Thespesia populnea

tree; (B) faded old 

flower; (C) all-yellow 

flower; (D) flower 

with red markings 

at center.

Malvaceae Native

B C

D

A
144 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: for Swietenia macrophylla, Honduras mahogany (the source 

of most commercial Swietenia mahogany); large-leaved mahogany; 

for S. mahagoni: West Indian mahogany, small-leaved mahogany, 

Spanish mahogany.

Habitat and description: 

Large, straight-growing trees, S. macrophylla recorded up to 60 m 

high, with a trunk to 2 m, and S. mahagoni to 25 m high with a trunk 

to 1.5 m elsewhere. Leaves: compound, usually 1-even pinnate, leaflet 

blades glabrous, entire. Flower: with 4- to 5-lobed calyx and four to five 

petals, anthers in tube, partly exerted, borne on few-branched axillary 

inflorescence. Fruit: large, woody, erect, ovoid to obovoid capsules 

splitting along five seams, releasing flattened, winged seeds. The two 

species can be distinguished by the size of the leaves, leaflets, and fruit 

capsules, which are larger for S. macrophylla.

Swietenia macrophylla—

Leaves: 14 to 40 (usually 16 to 30) cm long, leaflets two to eight 

(usually three to six) pairs, with blades 8 to 18 cm (usually 9 to 13 cm) 

by 2.5 to 5.5 cm (usually 2.5 to 4 cm) wide. Fruit: capsules 12 to 22 cm 

(usually 12 to 15 cm) long; seeds 7.5 to 10 cm long.

Swietenia mahagoni—

Leaves: 10 to 28 cm (usually 12 to 15 cm) long, leaflets two to five 

(usually two to four) pairs; with blades 4 to 8 cm (usually 5 to 6 cm) 

long by 1.5 to 3.25 cm (usually 2.5 to 3 cm) wide. Fruit: capsules 6 to 

10 cm long, seeds 2 to 5 cm long.

Distribution: 

Swietenia macrophylla is originally from Honduras, now distributed 

throughout tropical America and widely grown elsewhere; S. mahagoni 

is originally from the West Indies, from southern Florida to Trinidad 

and Tobago, and is now planted widely.

Comments:

Introduced to Micronesia as a timber species, the wood being hard, 

heavy, and valuable, especially for fine furniture. The English name 

“mahogany” is often misapplied to Calophyllum inophyllum, (“biyuuch” 

on Yap). Mahogany trees have naturalized on Yap and are spreading 

into other forests. 

Swietenia macrophylla King; Swietenia mahagoni (L.) Jacq

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 145

(A) Swietenia macrophylla tree; (B) leaves; (C) sapling.

Meliaceae Introduced

B

A

C
146 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Not known. Kanehira (1933) indicates its name as “mesei.”

Habitat and description: 

Small tree growing in native 

forests, 2 to 4 m or more in 

height, 5 to 15 or more cm 

diameter. Branches: smooth, 

exhibiting terminalian 

branching: shoot turns up 

and produces whorl of leaves, 

then two stems arise behind 

and to each side of the cluster 

of leaves and grow at an angle 

in the same plane until they 

turn up and produce a whorl of leaves. Leaves: simple, entire, alternate, 

clustered near the tip of branchlets, obovate, 10 to 14 cm long by 4 to 5 

cm wide, obtuse, cuneate, glabrous; petiole about 1 cm long. Flowers: 

two to six born on a simple peduncle arising in the axil of a leaf near the 

tip of branch, 3 mm in diameter, calyx white to cream, campanulate, 

four-parted, dentate; four petals, white with woolly grayish-white hairs; 

stamens tubular. Fruit: a smooth globular berry maturing from green 

to black generally with one, but sometimes several, seeds when fruit is 

bilobed.

Distribution: 

Endemic to Yap.

Comments: 

Kanehira (1933) says the wood is aromatic and used as incense. This 

little tree is not well known to science, and its species name is considered 

unresolved. There are no species in the genus Vavaea reported from 

elsewhere in Micronesia, although other unresolved species occur in the 

Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and Australia. So far, we 

have found this tree in only a few places on Yap. As it is recorded only 

from Yap in all of Micronesia, it may be endemic and it would be good to 

plant it more widely as a possible “only on Yap” tree, not found anywhere 

else in the world.

Vavaea pauciflora Volkens

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 147

(A) Vavaea pauciflora plant with young fruit; (B) inflorescence with buds and open 

flower; (C) plant with green and ripe fruit; (D) branch showing “terminalian branching.”

Meliaceae Native, endemic

A B

C D
148 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names:

English: cannonball mangrove or puzzle nut tree. 

Yapese: yamgur. 

Palauan: meduulokebong. 

Chamorro: lalanyog. 

Chuukese: punopun, pulbum. 

Pohnpean: pwulok.

Habitat and description: 

Generally a medium- to large-size gnarled tree on Yap, with a smooth 

whitish trunk, red wood, and impressive snake or curtain-like buttressed 

roots. It occurs along rivers and the landward edge of mangroves where 

there is fresh water. Leaves: evenly 1-pinnate, with four to six leaflets 

about 8 to 20 cm by 4 to 10 cm wide, glabrous with rounded to obtuse 

apex. Flowers: about 7 cm long, cream to pink, with stamens joined into 

a tube. Fruit: a large round capsule, green, maturing to golden brown 

and enclosing 6 to 15 angled seeds.

Distribution: 

From Palau to Yap to the eastern Carolines and throughout the IndoMalaysian region.

Comments: 

In the same family as mahogany, this tree’s beautiful reddish wood is 

prized for carving. The fruit is sometimes referred to as a “puzzle nut” 

because it contains numerous angled seeds fitting together within the 

thick-skinned round capsule, which, once released, are difficult to fit 

back into a sphere.

Xylocarpus granatum Koen.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 149

Meliaceae Native

(A) Xylocarpus granatum tree at water’s edge with characteristic buttressed roots; 

(B) leaves and fruit.

B

A
150 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Artocarpus altilis (Park.) Fosb.; Artocarpus spp.

Synonyms: Artocarpus communis Forst.; Artocarpus incisus (Thunb.) L.f.

Local and common names:

English: breadfruit. Yapese: thow. Palauan: meduu. Chamorro: lemae. 

Chuukese: mei. Marshallese: ma.

Habitat and description: 

A potentially large tree found in agroforests of Yap. Trunk massive with 

thick milky sap. Leaves: large, to 90 cm long, deeply incised or more 

shallowly pinnately lobed, thick and leathery, with about five to seven 

wide to narrow lobes varying with variety, the midrib raised beneath, 

dark green above, lighter below. Flowers: the male fruit spike is about 

10 to 20 cm or more long; female flowers are borne inside a roundedoblong compound fruit that is borne, axillary on small branches. Fruit: 

round to oblong, up to 30 cm, with reticulations, bumps, or small soft 

spines depending on variety; green ripening to yellowish-green, pulp 

white and firm, ripening creamy, soft and fragrant, usually seedless. 

Artocarpus altilis is the main breadfruit on Yap and there are many 

locally recognized varieties; A. mariannensis, which occurs more in the 

coralline outer island, is seeded. Artocarpus that have been reported 

from Yap can be distinguished as follows:

1. Fruits born on branches, moderate in size

2. Leaves pinnately lobed, lower surface without 

 hairs, fruit often over 20 cm long, usually seedless .......... Artocarpus altilis

2. Leaves simple, generally entire or with few shallow,

 lobes lower surface hairy, fruit mostly 15 to 20 cm long

 and with seeds ........................................................................... A. mariannensis

1. Fruits borne on lower part of main trunks, cylindrical, often

30 to 40 cm long, leaves not lobed or only slightly lobed

2. Fruits often over 35 cm long, twigs and stems with stiff

 hairs (English: jak-fruit; Chamorro: nangka) ............ A. heterophyllus Lam.

2. Fruits up to 30 cm long, twigs and leaves without hairs 

 (Chamorro: lemasa; Malay: chempedak ............. A. integer (Thunb.) Merrill

Distribution: Artocarpus mariannensis: endemic to Micronesia; A. altilis: 

Malaysian and Pacific area; Marianas and Carolines; A. heterophyllus

and A. integer: Indo-Malaysia.

Comments: Artocarpus altilis is a very important food and multipurpose 

tree cultivated and naturalized, spreading via root sprouts. It hybridizes 

with the wild A. mariannensis, producing intermediates. Artocarpus 

heterocarpus and A. integer are not common on Yap.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 151

Moraceae Introduced

Lonnie Fread Lonnie Fread

B

A
152 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Artocarpus mariannensis Trecul

Local and common names: 

Carolinian: meiyas. 

Palauan: chebiei; dugdug. 

Woleaian: maifai; sowing.

Habitat and description: 

A potentially large tree found occasionally in agroforests and secondary 

forest of mainland Yap but more common in outer islands. Trunk often 

tall and straight with buttresses and thick milky sap. Leaves: simple, alternate, variable ranging from about 10 to 30 cm long, broadly obovate 

to elliptic in shape, entire to variously shallowly lobed, upper surface 

glabrous, dark green and somewhat shiny, lower leaf with brown hairs 

on veins and midrib. Flowers: hollow male spike about 8 to 10 cm long. 

Fruit: generally small with reticulated texture of skin from individual 

flowers borne inside, and bumpy from seeds; has less pulp compared to 

A. altilis, and large roundish seeds; fragrant when ripe.

Distribution:

Originally endemic to Micronesia; Marianas, Palau, Yap, and Chuuk; 

Central Carolines, Marshalls, and Kiribas. Now planted elsewhere. 

Comments:

A wild, seeded species of breadfruit of limestone forests of Guam, Palau, 

Chuuk. Uncommon on mainland Yap but more common in outer islands 

of Yap and Chuuk (Central Carolines). This species may hybridize with 

Artocarpus altilis, forming intermediate types. Boiled or roasted seeds 

provide a rich, tasty food.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 153

Moraceae

(A) Artocarpus 

mariannensis

branch; (B) and 

(C) leaves; (D) 

fruit showing 

seeds.

Native

B

A

C D
154 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Ficus elastica Roxb. (Introduced)

Ficus microcarpa L.f.

Ficus prolixa Forst. f. var. carolinensis (Warb.) Fosb.

Ficus senfftiana Warb.

Ficus tinctoria Forst. f.

Ficus tinctoria var. neo-ebudarum (Summerh.) Fosb.

Local and common names:

Ficus senfftiana: Yapese: weche. 

Ficus elastica: English: rubber tree; India rubber tree.

 Yapese: gakiy ni goma (i.e., rubber tree). Palauan: komunoki. 

Ficus prolixa: English: banyan tree. Yapese: aw. Palauan: lulk. 

 Chamorro: nunu. Carolinian: ghiliau.

Ficus tinctoria: Yapese: wacheguy. Palauan: osked. Chamorro: tagete. 

 Carolinian: awall.

Synonyms: 

Ficus copiosa sensu auct. non 

Stued.—probably a specimen of 

F. senfftiana; F. virens—probably a 

specimen of F. prolixa.

Habitat and description: 

Ficus species on Yap vary from 

scandent shrubs to huge multitrunked banyan trees. The 

following are the characteristics 

common to all of Yap’s Ficus trees. 

Trunk: most parts with copious (lots of) thick milky sap (except for F. 

senfftiana), bark smooth with a ring-like scar left from the stipules that 

usually enclose the leaf buds, twigs sometimes hollow, generally multiple 

trunks and aerial roots, except for F. senfftiana. Leaves: simple, entire, 

alternate, may be unequal-sided, with characteristic venation forming 

little boxes (see photo). Flowers: borne inside the round developing fruit 

(like a fig). Fruit: compound with many small seeds. The list of species 

given above is from Fosberg et al. (1979). Revisions may be in order. The 

following provisional key distinguishes between these species:

Ficus spp.

(continued on p. 156)

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 155

Moraceae

Native and 

introduced

(A) Large banyan tree, Ficus 

prolixa var. carolinensis; (B) 

characteristic leaf veination; 

(C) characteristic aerial roots.

B

A

C
156 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

1. Trunk and leaves without lots of thick milky sap, generally a 

 single trunk and relatively thin leaves that feel like sandpaper. 

 Leaves with three veins (first, second lateral veins, and midrib) 

 prominent at base of leaf, fruit on branches or trunk .............. Ficus senfftiana

1. Trees with copious thick milky white sap coming from injured 

 leaves and bark: 

 2a. Large introduced tree with thick, glossy leaves 15 to 25+ cm

 long, midrib reddish, large 10+ cm pinkish stipules (sheaths) 

 enclose leaf buds but fall early; introduced planted trees like

 the big India rubber tree growing near Yap Legislature 

 building ................................................................................................. F. elastica

 2b. Growing into large, multi-trunked tree with leaves about 

 9 by 5 cm, elliptic and coming to a sharp point (mucronate 

 or cuspidate) .................................................................................. F. microcarpa

 2c. Growing into large, multi-trunked tree with ovate leaves 

 about 15 by 8 cm, oblong, with cystoliths (little hard spots) 

 on lower surface ................................................................................... F. prolixa

 2d. Scandent (with long, leaning branches) shrub or often 

 bushy tree often with long proproots, leaves 8 to 15 cm by 

 4.5 to 8 cm, with copious milky sap, often asymmetric at, 

 base and midrib not centered, with three to nine lateral veins 

 almost at right angles to midrib, fruit ripens to yellow and 

 then reddish ....................................................................................... F. tinctoria

Distribution: 

Ficus senfftiana is recorded only for Yap and Palau. Ficus microcarpa var.

microcarpa, F. prolixa var. carolinensis, and F. tinctoria are widespread in 

Micronesia, with a second variety of F. tinctoria being less widespread or 

less collected. The large, introduced F. elastica, or India rubber tree, has 

been planted in urban areas as near the Yap Legislature building 

Comments: 

Fruits of Ficus senfftiana were once an important food on Yap. Big 

banyan trees are associated with spirits on Yap and elsewhere. Fruit 

bats eat Ficus fruit and spread the seed.

Ficus spp. (continued)

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 157

Moraceae

(A) Ficus tinctoria tree with 

ripe fruit; (B) fruit; 

(C) F. senfftiana leaves; (D) 

fruit borne on trunk.

Native and 

introduced

B

A

C

D
158 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

The genus Eugenia has been split into 

Eugenia, including most of the small 

fruited species, and the genus Syzygium, 

containing most of the bigger fruited 

species that have been introduced to 

Yap and elsewhere in Micronesia. 

The Syzygium (often called arfath 

(“apples”) are treated later.

Habitat and description: 

Shrubs to medium-size trees in forest 

understory. Leaves: simple, entire, 

opposite, elliptic, about 6 to 9 cm long 

by 3 to 5 cm wide, thick, dark glossy green, lower surface duller, with 7 to 

8 pairs of veins that meet in loops along the margin. Flowers: solitary, in 

leaf axils, on stems 2 to 2.5 cm long, often turned 180 degrees from plane 

of leaves, with two small bracts at base of calyx, a hairy, four-lobed calyx, 

four white ephemeral petals about 1.5 cm long with many white stamens. 

Fruit: roundish, about 1.2 cm long, capped by persistent calyx, ripens 

orange, with one seed.

Distribution: 

Yap, Palau, Guam, and Chuuk, and elsewhere from Malaya to 

Moluccas and some Pacific islands.

Comments: 

Where this tree occurs, there are often many seedlings and 

saplings about.

Eugenia reinwardtiana DC

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 159

(A) Eugenia reinwardtiana branches and flower, (B) new leaves; (C) fruit and trunk.

Myrtaceae Native

B

A

C
160 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: paperbark tree.

Habitat and description: 

An introduced, medium-size tree characterized by its flaking “paperbark,” tea oil smell of crushed leaves, and woody seed capsules on 

branches alternating with leaves. Leaves: simple, entire, alternate, 

narrow, about 4 to 12 cm long by 1 to 6 cm wide, leathery, grayish green, 

with fragrance like “Vicks” (mentholatum) when crushed. Flowers: 

cylindrical spikes, 3 to 10 cm long, of white flowers with numerous 

stamens. Fruit: woody capsules about 0.4 cm in length and width, 

persistent up to a year.

Distribution: 

Introduced to Yap, Palau, Guam, and Pohnpei; originally from Australia.

Comments: 

This tree is known to be invasive in some areas. It was introduced to 

Yap many years ago and is spreading slowly.

Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) Blake

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 161

(A) Melaleuca quinquenervia tree; (B) “paperbark” trunk; (C) “bottle brush” flower with 

old seed capsules borne below leaves.

Myrtaceae Introduced

A B

C
162 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: allspice tree. 

Spanish: malaqueta.

Habitat and description: 

A small, dark, erect tree with many branches, elliptic, leathery leaves, 

6 to 16 cm long by 3 to 6 cm wide, with 12 to 16 pairs of veins prominent 

beneath, spicy smell. Flowers: on axillary cymes with long peduncles 

about 3 to 7 cm long, white flowers 6 to 10 mm wide, calyx four-lobed, 

four petals, many stamens. Fruit: round, 5 to 7 mm, ripening dark 

purple.

Distribution: 

Introduced to Yap; native to West Indies and possibly southern Mexico 

and parts of Central America; now widely cultivated and naturalized.

This tree has been recorded from Yap, but we have not located it. It is 

included as a possible invasive species.

Comments: 

A spice tree with berries that yield “allspice,” which seems to combine 

the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, used to flavor food and in 

perfume. A relative, Pimenta acris Kostel., the bay rum tree, is similar 

but has five sepals and yields an oil from which perfume and bay rum are 

prepared. The bay rum tree has been introduced in Guam, where it has 

spread into native forests. Both species are considered invasive.

Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 163

Pimenta dioica.

Myrtaceae Introduced

Species 2000 (http://www.species2000.org/)
164 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: guava. 

Yapese: abas. 

Chamorro: abas. 

Carolinian: abwas. 

Palauan: kuabang.

Habitat and description: 

A small, rangy tree cultivated or naturalized in agroforests and 

sometimes secondary vegetation. Characteristically has smooth bark 

with thin scales that peel off in irregular shapes; light, young branches 

angled and with reddish brown pubesence. Leaves: simple, entire, 

opposite, oblong, brittle, with prominent midrib, and side veins, two 

sides often folded inward into wide V-shape, about 7 to 15 cm long 

by 3 to 5 cm wide, on short petioles. Flowers: white, with numerous 

stamens and petals that fall early, about 3 cm in diameter. Fruit: round 

to ovoid, 2.5 to 10 cm in diameter with a persistent calyx at end, green, 

maturing yellow or pinkish, pulp sweet and granular with many hard 

seeds.

Distribution: 

From tropical America; now distributed widely and throughout 

Micronesia.

Comments: 

Introduced and naturalized, mostly in the form of wild-growing 

small trees with relatively small fruits. Often grown around households for medicinal use.

Psidium guajava L.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 165

(A) Psidium guajava tree; (B) fruit; (C) leaves; (D) branch with fruit and leaves.

Myrtaceae Introduced

B

C D

A
GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY

166 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names:

English: mountain apple (in Hawaii), wax apple, Malay apple. 

Yapese: arfath. 

Palauan: kidel. 

The genus Eugenia has been split into Eugenia, including most of the 

small fruited species, and the genus Syzygium, containing most of the 

bigger fruited species that have been introduced to Yap and elsewhere 

in Micronesia. Two species of Syzygium have been reported for Yap. 

Syzygium malaccense is described below, but other species are present.

Habitat and description:

Medium to large-size trees planted in agroforests and yards. Leaves:

simple, entire, opposite, glossy, elliptic to oblong-ovate, 10 to 18 cm or 

up to 25 cm long, by 6 to 8 or up to 12 cm wide, with short petioles to 

10 mm, so that leaves tend to be crowded together. Flowers: in clusters on 

older branches and trunk, with four reddish petals about 8 mm long that 

fall off early; many red stamens. Fruit: obovoid, about 7 by 6 cm, glossy 

red, white or striped, succulent and crisp, usually with one seed about 

2 cm in diameter.

Syzygium samarangense is similar, also with large leaves 10 to 25 cm long 

by 5 to 12 cm wide, oblong-elliptic, but with shorter petioles 3 to 5 mm 

long, flowers in clusters in leaf axils, white, 2.5 to 3.5 mm wide. Fruit:

roundish or somewhat pear-shaped, greenish or white, waxy and edible.

Distribution: 

Syzygium malaccense is an Indomalaysian cultivar that has been spread 

to many areas. Syzygium samarangense may be native in the Carolines.

Synonym for S. malaccense = Eugenia malaccensis L.

Synonym for S. samarangense = Eugenia javanica Lam.

Comments: 

The fruit is crisp, not too sweet, and good to eat. A number of varieties 

and species of Syzygium have been introduced to Yap.

Syzygium malaccense (L.) Merr. & Perry 

Syzygium sp.
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 167

Myrtaceae

Introduced, 

possibly native

(A) Syzygium sp. tree; 

(B) leaves; (C), (D), and 

(E) fruit.

B

C

D

E

A

Species 2000 Species 2000 Species 2000 
168 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: Grand devil’s-claws; grand Pisonia. 

Ulithian: umo. 

Palauan: mesbesibech; emoi. 

Chamorro: umumu. 

Habitat and description: 

A coastal tree that is more common in outer islands than in mainland 

Yap. Trunk: light-colored; may be gnarled and wide, with soft wood; 

branches irregular. Leaves: simple, entire, opposite to whorled, crowded 

at branch ends, pale green, soft and with conspicuous veins; often insecteaten. Flowers: clustered in cymes at branch tips or leaf axils, male and 

female flowers similar with greenish to whitish sepals and petals. Fruit: 

short, about 1 cm long and cylindrical, with short sticky spines.

Distribution: 

Throughout Micronesia, especially on atolls and coral islands, and from 

Madras to Polynesia and Australia.

Comments: 

This tree is important as a roosting tree for seabirds that gather on small, 

generally uninhabited islets. These islets with their large Pisonia trees 

are important to maintaining populations of seabirds. The sticky seeds 

of P. grandis are then likely to be transported to other islets by seabirds. 

Pisonia grandis can be propagated by seed or cuttings. The tree’s adaptation to typhoons is to lose its soft branches easily, but then to resprout 

from the trunk. This sometimes results in old trees that are only moderately tall but have wide gnarled trunks with a lot of character.

Pisonia grandis R. Br.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 169

Nyctaginaceae Native

(A) Pisonia grandis leaves and inflorescence; (B) trunk.

B

A
170 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: 

Ceodes umbellifera Forst.

Local and common names:

Yapese: adaburru. 

Palauan: udeuidar bekai.

Habitat and description:

Small- to medium-size uncommon 

tree of forested areas. Trunk and 

branches soft, smooth, and easily 

broken. Leaves: variable, obovate 

to oblanceolate, large, up to 30 cm 

long. Flowers: salmon-pink, in clusters. Fruit: elongate and sticky.

Distribution:

Yap, and found throughout Micronesia although uncommon; 

widely distributed in the Pacific.

Comments: 

The popular Yapese name “adaburru” likens the long sticky seeds to 

geckoes with their clinging toes.

Pisonia umbellifera (J.R. Forst. & G. Forst.) Seem.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 171

(A) Pisonia umbellifera leaves; (B) trunk.

Nyctaginaceae Native

B

A
172 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names:

English: tallow wood, sourplum. 

Yapese: gooneg. 

Palauan: kerekuriechol. 

Chamorro: piut.

Habitat and description:

A small, spiny tree, with long 

branches somewhat zig-zag 

between spines, generally growing along coast. Leaves: simple, 

entire, or with a notch at the tip, 

alternate but often with two or 

more leaves arising at a node; 

smooth, yellowish green, about 

4 to 7 cm long by 2.5 to 3.5 cm 

wide; short petioles. Flowers: 

four-parted, white, fragrant, 

hairy within, in short axillary 

racemes. Fruit: a fleshy round 

drupe about the size of an olive, 

often with a tip at the end and 

one large seed.

Distribution: 

A pantropical strand plant.

Comments: 

Fruit is edible but sour; relished by children; seeds are toxic.

Ximenia americana L.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 173

(A) Ximenia americana; (B) branches showing notched leaf tips and thorns; fruit.

Olacaceae Native

A

B
174 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names:

Averrhoa bilimbi: 

English: picklefruit. 

Yapese: kumim, uler. 

Palauan: imegurs. 

Averrhoa carambola: 

English: starfruit. Spanish: carambola.

Habitat and description: 

Averrhoa bilimbi: a small tree frequent occurring in agroforests, around 

villages, and in secondary vegetation. Often with multiple trunks and 

crown made up of numerous sub crowns of rosettes of pinnate leaves. 

Leaves: compound, 1-pinnate with odd leaf at tip, light to medium green 

with young leaflets tinged reddish, leaves up to 60 cm long, with 20 to 

36 leaflets about 3 to 9 cm long, pointing downward. Flowers: attached 

to stems and trunk sometimes in dense clusters, red with white centers. 

Fruit: smooth, succulent and oblong-cylindrical fruit born on trunk and 

branches, about 7 cm long, ripening yellow green, crisp and acid.

Averrhoa carambola, the starfruit, differs from A. bilimbi by having only 

four to five pairs of leaflets per leaf, more pinkish flowers, and larger 

star-shaped fruit with five large ridges.

Distribution: 

Throughout Micronesia and pantropical, often cultivated.

Comments: 

Both species of Averrhoa produce edible fruit. When ripe, the starfruit is 

sweet enough to eat as it is, while the picklefruit (“kumim” in Yapese) is 

very sour even when ripe, but beloved by children who often eat it with 

salt and hot peppers. The kumim leaves and fruit may also be added to 

fish soup, or the fruit blended with water and sugar to make a refreshing 

drink called “uler cooler.”

Averrhoa bilimbi L.; Averrhoa carambola L.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 175

Oxalidaceae Introduced

(A) Averrhoa bilimbi tree; 

(B) fruit borne on trunk; 

(C) clusters of flowers on 

trunk.

B

A

C
176 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names:

English: root beer tree. 

Yapese: k’ing. 

Palauan: elbiob.

Habitat and description:

A lovely small- to medium-size tree scattered in savannas and at forest 

edges, where it may grow to a larger size. Branches, petioles, lower side 

of leaves, and inflorescence are covered with small, golden, rusty brown 

hairs. The peeled bark is fragrant. Leaves: Simple, entire, alternate, 

oblong, 8 to 11 cm long by 3 to 5 cm wide, obtuse at both ends, midrib 

caniculate above, prominent below. Flowers: in short terminal cymes, 

five-parted, complete. Fruit: round about 1 cm in diameter with one 

seed.

Distribution: 

Endemic to Yap and Palau. 

Comments: 

This shrub to small tree is easily identified from the golden brown 

underside of leaves, and because the peeled bark has a fragrant smell 

similar to root beer. The sapwood is red and heartwood is reddish brown 

and hard. As a result of frequent wildfires, this tree is now uncommon. 

Planting and protection of this endemic tree are recommended.

Alphitonia carolinensis Hosok. 

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 177

Rhamnaceae Native, endemic

(A) Alphitonia carolinensis

small tree; (B) leaves and 

flowers.

B

A
178 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names:

English: oriental mangrove. 

Yapese: rok; yangach. 

Palauan: dengues; kodengues. 

Chamorro: manglen lahi. 

Chuukese: buru; ong; bun. 

Pohnpean: rhom; sohmw. 

Kosraean: schrael; alol.

The “mangrove family,” 

Rhizophoraceae, includes 16 

genera and about 120 species. 

Four genera are found exclusively in mangroves and are viviparous 

(producing “propagules” [called “blukuy” in Yapese] that sprout while 

still on the tree.) Three of these mangrove genera are found on Yap: 

Bruguiera (Yapese = rok), Ceriops, and Rhizophora (Yapese = roway).

Habitat and description:

A common, often tall and nicely formed mangrove tree, with a stout 

trunk, generally growing toward the interior of mangrove or along 

rivers, sometimes growing in central depressions on uninhabited islets 

of atolls; tree has flying buttresses adjacent to trunk and knee-like 

pneumatophores further from trunk. Leaves: simple, entire, opposite, 

leathery, oval, pointed at both ends, 9 to 20 cm long by 4 to 9 cm wide, 

somewhat olive green and glossy above, petioles and stipules about new 

leaves often red. Flowers: solitary in leaf axils, with conspicuous red to 

pink or white calyx as long as petals; 10 to 14 dull orange petals, hairy. 

Fruit: develops into angled hypocotyl that may reach 15 to 25 cm long 

by 1.5 to 2 cm broad before falling.

Distribution: 

Throughout Micronesian mangroves and from Indo-Malaysia to the

Pacific but introduced in Hawaii.

Comments: 

Trees with all three colors of calyces—dark red, pink, and white—can 

be found in Yap, often in the same general area. Thickets of Bruguiera 

gymnorrhiza often have trees well spaced with a relatively open understory. The heartwood is dark red and heavy.

Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lam. 

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 179

Rhizophoraceae Native

(A) Bruguiera gymnorrhiza grove of trees; (B), (C), and (D) white, pink, and 

red calyces; (E) developing propagule; (F) red and white calyces.

B

A

C

E F

D
180 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Palauan: biut. 

Habitat and description:

A small to medium-size 

mangrove tree growing along 

channel and inner edge of 

mangroves in Yap. Leaves: 

simple, entire, opposite, leathery, 

obovate to elliptic, rounded at 

end and pointed toward base, with margins slightly rolled under, average 

size about 5 to 10 cm by 3 to 6 cm, on relatively long petioles. Flowers:

yellow-green, five-parted, 0.7 to 1 cm long, borne in 4 to 10 flowered 

clusters. Fruit: germinates to produce a long, thin propagule about 1 cm 

wide by 15 to 35 cm long.

Distribution: 

Occurs in Yap and Palau in Micronesia and from Africa to Melanesia.

Comments: 

An uncommon mangrove tree in Yap, recognized by its long, thin propagules. Trees are said to have been introduced to Atelieu from Palau about 

a generation ago, but may be native in other localities on Yap. Actively 

planted in the Philippines for coastal erosion control. Should be propagated and spread on Yap. Grows readily from propagule placed in water 

and can be planted in moist areas as an ornamental, as it has a nice shape 

and pleasant-smelling propagule.

Ceriops tagal (Perr.) C. B. Rob.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 181

Rhizophoraceae Native

(A) Ceriops tagal tree; (B) propagules; 

(C) sprouting fruit; (D) flowers.

B

C

D

A
182 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Rhizophora spp.

Rhizophora stylosa Griff. 

Rhizophora mucronata Lam. 

Rhizophora apiculata Blume

Rhizophora × lamarckii Montrouz.

Local and common names: 

Yapese: roway. In Palau, R. apiculata may be distinguished as “bngaol” 

and other Rhizophora known as “tebechel.”

Habitat and description:

Rhizophora spp. are small to large mangrove trees with stilt or prop 

roots above mud. Three species and a hybrid occur on Yap. The most 

common, R. stylosa, is described first, with diagnostic characteristics 

of other Rhizophora following.

Leaves: simple, entire, opposite, elliptic, about 6.5 to 12.5 cm long by 3.5 

to 6.5+ cm wide, pointed at both ends with a mucronate (abrupt, pointed) 

tip (characteristic of all Rhizophora spp.); thick, glossy, dark green above, 

lighter below, and clustered at branch tips, with young leaves enclosed 

within terminal stipules, petioles 2.5 to 3.5 cm long. 

Flowers: borne one to five leaf nodes down from the apical (tip) shoot, 

generally within the leaves, on inflorescences that are forked three to 

four times and bear two to eight flowers (depending on how many have 

fallen off); small white flowers with ephemeral petals with thick woolly 

hairs (see photo) borne within four thick persistent calyces, eight stamens 

with a style about 4 to 6 mm long (see photo). 

Fruit and propagules: the Rhizophorace have fruit that germinates 

while it is still on the tree, into long, cylindrical, somewhat curved 

hypocotyls or “propagules” that fall into the mud and begin to grow 

or float to a suitable habitat and then begin to root. The dimensions of 

hypocotyls range from 14 to 80 cm long and 1 to 2 cm at the widest part. 

Dimensions are variable and not consistently species-specific. 

Rhizophora mucronata is quite similar to R. stylosa, with propagules 

borne a bit further from the apical shoot at nodes four to seven. Perhaps 

the surest way to differentiate between the two is to pull a mature bud 

apart and note the length of the style, about 4 to 6 mm in R. stylosa, and

(continued on page 184)

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 183

Rhizophoraceae Native

(A) Rhizopora stylosa tree; (B) R. stylosa flowers; (C) buds 

of R. apiculata; (D) non-reflexed calyx of R. apiculata; 

(E) comparisons of inflorescences and styles of R. stylosa

(on left with longest style, 6 mm long by 1.5 mm wide), 

R. × lamarkii in middle, and R. mucronata on right with 

shortest style (3.5 mm long by 4.5 mm wide).

B

C

A

E

D
184 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Rhizophora spp. (continued)

(from page 182) 

shorter in R. mucronata (see photos). Rhizophora mucronata and 

R. stylosa are quite similar, and R. stylosa may someday be changed 

back to R. mucronata var. stylosa (Griff.) Schimper.

Rhizophora apiculata generally occurs upstream where water is less 

saline. It is more distinctive with slightly longer leaves, more tapering 

at the ends, with mature buds and flowers that are borne about 6 to 11 

nodes down from the apical (tip) shoot, and fruit borne about 8 nodes 

below the apical shoot. By the 

time the hypocotyls matures, the 

twig has grown longer so that it 

is borne 9 to 13 nodes below the 

apical shoot, below the leaves. The 

petals of R. apiculata flowers lack 

hairs, and have non-reflexed calyx 

lobes. Perhaps the most distinctive 

characteristic of R. apiculata are the 

corky bracts beneath the calyx lobes 

and above the hypocotyls and the 

generally paired flowers and fruit 

borne close to the stem (see photos).

Rhizophora × lamarckii, is a hybrid,

probably of R. stylosa and R. 

mucronata. It is a robust tree with

characteristics between the parent 

species, with flowers (see photos) 

borne about three to six nodes from the apical shoot.

Distribution: 

Rhizophora are found in estuarine and coastal mangroves throughout 

Micronesia and Southeast Asia to Australia.

Comments: 

The Rhizophora, and mangroves in general, are important in preventing 

coastal erosion and reducing siltation of lagoons. They provide habitat 

for young fish and their leaves provide a slow release of nutrients in 

waters beyond mangroves.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 185

Rhizophoraceae Native

(A) abundant clusters of flowers of Rhizophora stylosa; (B) fallen propagule ready 

to grow; (C) R. × lamarkii hybrid with the “happy face flower”; (D) buds and 

sprouting propagules.

B

C

D

A
186 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: 

Aidia cochinensis auct. non Lour.

Local and common names: 

Yapese: gathemach (?) 

Palauan: kerumes. 

Chamorro: sumac. 

Pohnpean: kahmaut, kehnman.

Members of the large family Rubiaceae are fairly easy to recognize. They 

have opposite leaves and a stipule scar that extends around the stem. The 

ovary is below the flower parts, and there is often a scar at the tip of the 

fruit where the flower parts have fallen off (see photo of coffee fruit).

Habitat and description:

Small understory tree in forests. Branches: smooth; petioles moderately 

long, 1 to 2 cm. Leaves: simple, entire, opposite, with wavy margins, 

glossy, oblong-lanceolate, size variable in shade and sun, averaging 

about 13 cm by 6 cm with four or more conspicuous veins. Flowers: in 

axillary cymes, long pedicels, white with exerted stamens and pistil, 

fragrant. Fruit: 1 to 2.5 cm, with persistent calyx, maturing reddish to 

black.

Distribution: 

Tropical Asia through Pacific Islands but not as far as Hawaii.

Comments: 

The name “gathemach” seems to be applied or misapplied to more 

than one species. Used medicinally.

Aidia racemosa (Cav.) Tirvengadum

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 187

Rubiaceae Native

(A) Aidia racemosa leaves, flowers and fruit; (B) flower.

B

A
188 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names:

English: coffee.

Habitat and description:

Planted shrubs to small trees, youngest branches compressed. Leaves:

with stipules usually between petioles, leaf blades simple, opposite. 

Flowers: with 5- to 8-toothed calyx, tubular, five to eight lobed corolla, 

lobes twisted in bud, filaments very short, stigma bifid. Fruit: a drupe 

that ripens red, with two seeds flat on the side where they meet, and 

rounded on the outer sides with a groove on the flat side. Liberian coffee, 

Coffea liberica Bull ex Hiern. has fruit about 1.5 to 3 cm long with a thick 

skin, while C. arabica L., Arabian coffee, the most commonly cultivated 

coffee, has a fruit about 0.5 to 1.5 cm long with a thin covering.

Distribution: 

Introduced to Yap but generally uncommon.

Comments: 

Both species have been introduced to Yap and some persist but are not 

cultivated or harvested commercially.

Coffea sp.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 189

Rubiaceae Introduced

Coffea sp. leaves and immature fruit.
190 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: blaw. 

Palauan: belau. 

Ulithian: iuth. 

Fais: outh. 

Ifaluk: ot. 

Woleaian: wuut. 

Carolinian: mwesor. 

Chamorro: panao. 

Chuukese: mosor. 

Pohnpean: eet, iht. 

Kosraean: korn lahk. 

Marshallese: utilomar; wut.

Habitat and description:

A small tree generally growing along the coast. Short thick branches with 

prominent leaf scars. Stipules between petioles fall early. Leaves: simple, 

entire, opposite or sometimes in whorls of three, glossy green, ovate, 

about 10 to 25 cm by 8 to 18 cm, midrib and 7 to 10 pairs of veins prominent on both sides. Flowers: on cymes generally arising in axil of fallen 

leaf, peduncle 5 to 10 cm long and forked, calyx sessile, pubescent, about 

1 cm long; corolla 2.5 to 5 cm long, tubular and very fragrant. Fruit: a 

roundish drupe about 1.5 to 3 cm wide, slightly ribbed and with a circular rim at the apex, ripening whitish to pinkish and containing four to 

six seeds.

Distribution: 

Widespread, throughout Micronesia to Pacific equatorial islands and 

Tuamotus, and eastern Africa.

Comments: 

A common coastal tree with very fragrant flowers that may become more 

fragrant after they fall and wilt a bit. Although they bruise easily, they 

are a favorite flower for weaving into “nunu/marmar” leis for their persistent fragrance. The seeds float, resulting in their coastal distribution.

Guettarda speciosa L.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 191

Rubiaceae Native

(A) Guettarda speciosa tree; (B) branches with inflorescence and fruit; (C) flower.

B C

A
192 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Habitat and description:

A shrub to small tree in the understory or at the edge of native forests. 

Leaves: simple, entire, opposite and glossy, 8 to 15 cm long by 4 to 6 cm 

on short petioles 3 to 6 mm; with a looping network of veins forming a 

pattern within the leaf blade. Flowers: unstalked and enclosed in two 

terminal large bract-like leaves. Fruit: three lined up in bract-like leaves 

with light area below fruit. Ripens from green to purple black.

Distribution: 

Endemic to Yap and the Marianas.

Comments: 

A relative of the more showy red “gachiow” (Ixora casei), this seldomnoticed Ixora has three white fragrant blossoms lined up in a pair of 

bract-like leaves. When the buds bloom, the middle flower opens first, 

and the side blossoms open a day later. By this time the side buds have 

grown a bit longer so that when they open, the petals overlap nicely 

without interfering with one another. Easy to identify by the three white 

flowers or fruits in a row, and when these have fallen, by the light centers 

of the bract-like terminal leaves (see photo B).

Ixora triantha Volk.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 193

Rubiaceae Native

(A) Ixora triantha flowers; (B) light 

centered bract-like terminal leaves 

after fruit has fallen.

B

A
194 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: Indian mulberry. 

Yapese: mangeluag. 

Palauan: ngel. 

Fais: iol. 

Ifaluk: lel. 

Woleaian: leer. 

Satawalese: lan; leen. 

Habitat and description:

A bushy shrub to small tree with a rounded crown common in many 

habitats from open savannas to forests. Leaves: simple, entire, opposite 

and somewhat crinkled, dark glossy green leaves; shape and size are 

highly variable from elliptic to broad oval and to 15 to 25 or more 

cm long by 6 to 18 cm or more wide. Branches have thick light green 

petioles and large D-shaped stipules between the petiole bases on the 

squarish stem. Flowers: borne in groups on short 2- to 3-cm stems. They 

are white with five points. As the first flowers are pollinated, the fruit 

begins to develop and often bears newer flowers on the developing fruit 

(see photo). Fruit: oblong to round varying considerably in size from 

about 2.5 to 8 or more cm wide when mature, with a warty appearance, 

ripening from green to whitish, with a fetid smell when ripe and 

containing multiple seeds.

Distribution: 

Widespread from west coast of Africa to India and Malaysia to Pacific 

islands and throughout Micronesia.

Comments: 

A valued plant growing both in the wild and left to grow in village areas 

because of its usefulness. Uses include a number of medicines and yellow 

and red dye. It may also be eaten as a “famine food” after typhoons when 

nothing else is available.

Morinda citrifolia L.

Carolinian: leel. 

Chamorro: chada. 

Chuukese: arin; napur. 

Pohnpean: weipul. 

Kosraean: ee; hi. 

Marshallese: nen; nin.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 195

Rubiaceae Native

(A) Morinda citrifolia branch with fruit over stone money; (B) ripe fruit; (C) flowers.

B C

A
196 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Habitat and description: 

A shrub to small tree growing in open areas and forest edges, easily 

distinguished by its white phyllodes; bark light with conspicuous 

lenticles. Leaves: simple, entire to wavy, opposite, elliptical, pointed at 

both ends, 8 to 16 cm long by 4 to 6 cm wide, petiole 0.9 to 1.2 cm long. 

Flowers: on terminal panicles, with an occasional calyx lobe enlarged 

about 5 to 8 cm in length into a striking white leaf-like structure; flowers 

are small, about 2 cm wide, gold, tubular with five lobes. Fruit: are 

elliptical, 10 to 17 mm long, with a persistent calyx, ripening green to 

almost black.

Distribution: 

Palau, Yap, Philippines, and Malaysia.

Comments: 

A beautiful wild shrub. Used medicinally. 

Mussaenda frondosa L.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 197

Rubiaceae Native

Mussaenda frondosa.
GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY

198 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: gathemach. Chamorro: aplokhating.

Habitat and description:

For P. mariana: A small dark tree within 

and at edge of native forests with glabrous 

branchlets angled slightly upward. Leaves: 

opposite, simple, entire, oblong to slightly 

obovate and clustered near ends of branches, 

about 7 to 10 cm by 2.5 to 4 cm, rather leathery; lateral nerves, six to 

eight pairs and distinct and prominent on both sides of leaf; petiole 

short, 3 to 5 mm long with stipules between bases of petioles that fall off 

early. Flowers: borne on terminal cymes, calyx usually five-toothed, 3 

mm long; flower white, five-lobed, with 6 to 8 mm tube, four to five lobes 

4 to 5 mm with hairy throat and five stamens, style 4 mm, exerted with 

two very short stigmatic lobes. Fruit: a roundish drupe about 5 to 8 mm 

long ripening from green to orange to red to purplish with a green calyx 

rim persisting at the end, containing one to two seeds.

Distribution: 

Psychotia arbuscula is endemic to Yap, and P. mariana is endemic 

to Micronesia. 

Comments: 

There are at least two to three other Psychotria on Yap. Based on 

descriptions of Kanehira (1935) and Stone (1970–1971) P. arbuscula

and P. mariana are quite similar with P. arbuscula, being shrubs rather 

than small trees, having slightly larger leaves (8 to 10 cm long, 3 to 4.5 

cm broad, compared to about 7 to 10 cm by 2.5 to 4 cm for P. mariana), 

eight lateral nerves (as compared to six to eight pairs for P. mariana), 

a longer petiole, 5 to 12 mm long (as compared to 3 to 5 mm for P. 

mariana), with corolla tube 6 mm long (as compared to 6 to 8 mm for 

P. mariana), triangular acute corolla lobes (as compared to oblong) and 

fruit ellipsoidal, 6 to 8 mm long as compared to ellipsoidal-subglobose, 

5 to 8 mm long. Psychotria leptothrysa var. longicarpa has larger fruit 

that matures shiny red. Taxonomic work is needed on Yap’s Psychotria, 

especially because P. mariana is listed as endemic to Micronesia and 

P. arbuscula is listed as endemic to Yap.

Psychotria mariana Bartl. ex DC; Psychotria leptothrysa 

Miq. var. longicarpa Val.; Psychotria arbuscula Volkens
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 199

Rubiaceae Native, endemic

Psychotria spp.

B C

A
200 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea Gaertn.

Local and common names: 

Yapese: guad. 

Palauan: kuat.

Habitat and description: 

Shrub or small tree growing in 

mangrove areas generally on the 

landward side, along channels, 

and along rocky piers. Leaves: 

opposite, simple, entire, broad 

ovate, about 4 to 8 cm by 2 to 5 

cm, glossy and thick, often with 

edges turned under; stipules 2 mm persistent between petioles. Flowers:

borne in clusters, pink to whitish, 10 to 12 mm long including green 

calyx tube, petals and four sepals. Fruit: 5 to 11 mm long, cylindrical 

and ridged, greenish with the persistent calyx at the end.

Distribution: 

Malaysia to New Caledonia. In Micronesia, found only in Yap and Palau.

Comments: 

Not as common as major mangrove species; has been killed off in some 

areas. With its glossy leaves and pink flowers, this species would be good 

for landscaping rocky coasts for protection from storm waves.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 201

Rubiaceae Native

(A) Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea plant; (B) flowers.

B

A
202 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Tarenna sambucina

Local and common names: 

Chamorro: sagdara; sumac.

Habitat and description:

Shrub to small tree growing in 

and at the edge of forests and in 

open areas. Bark pale, ascending 

branches with enlarged nodes; 

young branch ends four-angled. 

Leaves: opposite, simple, entire, 

ovate-elliptic, 10 to 20 cm by 5 to 

9 cm and tapering at both ends; 

seven to eight pairs of conspicuous veins; petioles 1 to 3 cm long, 

D-shaped stipules persist between the bases of the petioles. Flowers:

creamy white, numerous and crowded in terminal corymbose cymes. 

Inflorescence expands during flowering and fruiting so that fruit is more 

widely spaced than flower buds. Fruit: roundish berries about 5 to 6 mm 

in diameter, green maturing to purple-black, with about eight seeds each.

Distribution:

Yap, Palau, Marianas, Melanesia, and southern Polynesia.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 203

Rubiaceae Native

Tarenna sambucina branch with immature fruit.
204 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Timonius albus Volk.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY

Local and common names: 

Sometimes called a type of 

“gathemach.”

Habitat and description:

A small, rangy tree or shrub 

in the understory or edge of 

native forest, occasionally in 

savannas. Trunk dark and rough 

(see photo), twigs terete. Leaves: 

crowded at ends of branches, 

elliptical, pointed at both ends, 9 

to 13 mm by 5 to 6 cm, five to six pairs of lateral veins, petiole 2 to 3 cm 

long, glabrous. Flowers: disposed in short cyme born in axil of terminal 

leaves, smooth, stipules triangular; calyx tube slightly hairy externally, 

shallowly dentate. Corolla tube white, hairy externally. Fruit: compressed 

globose, 10 mm in diameter.

Distribution: 

Endemic to Yap.

Comments:

Older leaves at base of leaf cluster are often reddish. Yap is the only 

known place on Earth on which this tree is found.
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 205

Rubiaceae Native, endemic

(A) Timonius albus trunk; (B) branch showing flower and older reddish leaf.

B

A
206 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names:

Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.) Swingle

English: lime. Yapese: “lime.” 

Citrus aurantium L.—

English: sour orange. 

Yapese: gurgur nu Waab.

Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck—

English: pomelo; shaddock. 

Yapese: “pamelo.” 

Citrus hysterix (L.) Burm. f.—

English: lemonlime. 

Yapese: remong ngabchey. 

Citrus macroptera Montr.—

English: orange. 

Yapese: gurgur, marathal. 

Citrus spp.

Citrus microcarpa / 

Citrus mitis / 

Citrofortunella mitis—

English: kalamansi. 

Yapese: gingang.

Citrus paradise—

English: grapefruit. 

Yapese: “grapefruit.” 

Citrus reticulata Blanco.—

English: tangerine; mandarin. 

Yapese: goligaw. 

Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck—

English: sweet orange. 

Yapese: gurgur. 

Habitat and description:

These small trees are common in Yap’s agroforests. Those listed above 

have been reported from Yap, but additional species and hybrids are 

probably present. Although the specific characteristics of the many 

species, varieties and hybrids vary, some common characteristics include 

the following: young green twigs are often angled, later becoming 

rounder, young and sometimes older branches and trunk with single 

spines. Leaves: simple, some serrate or wavy, with transparent glands 

that produce characteristic citrus scent, petioles somewhat to markedly 

winged, some, such as “remong nu Waab” so much that they look like a 

leaf blade, and the leaf looks like it is lobed, but there is a joint between 

the winged petiole and the true leaf. Flowers: single or a few borne in leaf 

axils, calyx 4- to 5-lobed, petals four to eight, usually five, stamens four 

to six, sometimes up to 10, times as many as petals, stigma round. Fruit:

round and sectioned like an orange and other citrus fruit; seeds angular 

and flattened.

Distribution: 

Quite a number of species and varieties of Citrus have been introduced 

to Yap both in the distant past and more recently, and some appear to 

have hybridized on island. Because they are cultivars with a complicated 

taxonomy, they are here treated together only in general. 

Comments: 

Most of Yap’s citrus fruits are green or partly green, even when ripe.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 207

Rutaceae Introduced

(A) and (B) Citrus spp.

B

A
208 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Allophyllus timoriensis (DC) Blume

Synonym: 

Allophyllus ternatus (Forst.) Radlk.

Local and common names: 

Yapese: angel. 

Palauan: chebeludes; ebeludes. 

Chuukese: ngo. 

Kosraean: lah. 

Marshallese: kutaak.

Habitat and description:

A scandent shrub to small tree growing in coastal areas. Leaves:

trifoliate, with shallowly toothed margins, alternate, ovate to elliptic 

and pointed at each end sometimes cordate at base; light green and 

not very glossy. Leaflet petioles very short, almost sessile. Flowers: 

white and tiny on a spike that is seldom branched and longer than the 

leaves, male and female flowers on same stalk. Fruit: roundish 1 to 

4 cm in diameter, ripening from green to red.

Distribution: 

Throughout Micronesia and widespread in tropics.

Comments: 

Used medicinally.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 209

Sapindaceae Native

(A) Allophyllus timoriensis small tree; (B) fruit.

B

A
210 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: 

Planchonella obovata (R. Br.) Baehni.

Local and common names: 

Yapese: there (?) 

Palauan: elangel. 

Chamorro: lalaha (on Saipan); lala (on Rota).

Habitat and description:

A shrub to shrubby medium-size tree to 15 m or more, with scanty 

milky sap, growing in forests and at forest edges in Yap in Palau, and 

also in thickets of secondary vegetation in the Marianas, 5 to 12 m 

tall, 30 to 60 cm in diameter, bark dark and rugose, inner bark pink. 

Branches don’t spread very far from trunk, resulting in a rounded bushy 

appearance of trees growing in full sun with young branches; underside 

of leaves, petiole, and peduncle coated with golden brown pubesence. 

Leaves: simple, entire, alternate, dark green above, lighter and coppery 

underneath; old leaves wither dark yellow-orange, highly variable in 

size and shape, (5 to 20 cm long by 2 to 10 cm wide, generally obovate 

to rounded-elliptic, 8 to 12 cm long, 3.5 to 5 cm wide), generally apex 

obtuse or rounded, base generally acute, tapering toward the petiole, 

midrib prominent underneath, lateral veins 10, distinct on both surfaces; 

petiole 1.5 to 3 cm long. Flowers: whitish, about 7 mm wide, one to six 

singly or in clusters on branch, pedicles short. Fruit: oval to oblong, 

about 10 mm in diameter, 12 to 16 mm in length, dark purple-black 

when ripe, with one or sometimes two seeds.

Distribution: 

Yap, Palau, Marianas, Chuuk, and elsewhere from Malaysia to Polynesia.

Comments: 

Pouteria obovata can look quite different under different conditions. In 

the forest understory it generally has large leaves without hints of the 

golden undersides. In full sun, leaves are much smaller and closer, and 

when the wind blows, they display their golden underside (see photos). 

Sometimes called “there” on Yap, a name that should be verified. 

Pouteria obovata (R. Br.) Baehni

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 211

Sapotaceae Native

(A) Pouteria obovata tree in full sun with 

leaves blowing in the wind; (B) tree within 

forest; (C) tree in full sun with no wind.

B

A

C
212 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Quassia indica (Gaertn.) Nooteboom

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY

Synonym: 

Samadera indica Gaertn. 

Local and common names: 

Palauan: eskeam.

Habitat and description:

A medium-size tree found along 

rivers and at edge of mangrove in 

Palau, and recently found also on 

Yap; trunk is straight with swellings at base. Leaves: simple, entire, 

alternate, oblong, 16 to 20 cm long 

by 8 to 12 cm wide, lustrous deep 

green, obtuse (rounded) at both ends, petiole 2 to 3 cm long. Flowers: 

borne on long drooping axillary peduncle, calyx four, petals four, pink, 

1.8 cm long by 0.5 cm wide, stamens eight, style slender. Fruit: flattened, 

shaped like a cross between a “bu’oy” (Inocarpus fagifer) nut and a mango 

seed; fruit ripens shiny red to brown.

Distribution: 

Palau, Yap, India, Malaya, Philippines, northern New Guinea, Bismark 

Archipelago.

Comments: 

This is a new plant record for Yap; the Palauan name likens this tree to 

“keam,” the Inocarpus fagifer tree. The wood is light and soft and used 

like cork as a filling material in junctures of canoes.
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 213

Simaroubaceae Native

Samadera indica branch and fruit.

Agnes Rinehart
214 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Soulamea amara Lam. 

Local and common names: 

Palauan: dekemerat. 

Ulithian: merat. 

Ifaluk: merat. 

Woleaian: marat. 

Chuukese: maras. 

Marshallese: kabujiling.

Habitat and description:

A bush to small tree, rare if present on mainland Yap but present on 

outer islands. Leaves: Simple, entire, alternate, more closely spaced at 

ends of branches, glossy green above, lighter below, oblong or oblongobovate, about 13 to 15 cm long by 4 to 6 cm wide, petiole about 7 to 10 

cm long. Flowers: borne on a raceme up to 20 cm long, in leaf axils; male 

flowers in clusters on stems about 5 mm long, with hairy secondary 

bracts; calyx two-parted, hairy on the outside; four petals about 3 mm 

in diameter when open with four to six stamens; female flowers with 

two stigmas and sterile stamens. Fruit: a curiously shaped achene, flat, 

obovate and shield-like, with keel along edges ending in two hooks 

over notch at tip (see photo).

Distribution: 

Occasional to rare; mainly on coralline islands and atolls of Carolines 

and Marshalls, Papua New Guinea, and the Bismark archipelago.

Comments:

An uncommon tree with curiously shaped fruit and seeds. This is a 

first published record of this tree in Yap State.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 215

Simaroubaceae Native

(A) Soulamea amara sapling; (B) fruit.

Rachael Nash Rachael Nash

B

A
216 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Sonneratia alba J.E. Sm. 

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY

Local and common names: 

English: mangrove apple. 

Yapese: abrur; afrur. 

Palauan: urur. 

Chuukese: saras. 

Pohnpean: kotho. 

Kosraean: flo fol.

Habitat and description:

A common mangrove tree 

growing at outer edge or 

within Yap’s mangroves, 

often emerging from the mangrove canopy. Trunk can be tall and 

straight or short and multi-branched. It is most easily distinguished by 

the numerous spike-like penumatophore “peg roots” emerging from the 

mud or silty sand. Leaves: simple, entire, opposite, round, thick, 6 to 12 

cm by 5 to 8 cm. Flowers: about 5 to 7.5 cm long with a mass of white 

stamens borne at end of branches; blooms in evening and stamens fall by 

next morning, leaving a heavy calyx that encloses the developing fruit. 

Fruit: round, flattened from top to bottom, about 3 to 4 cm.

Distribution: 

Throughout the Caroline Islands and Marshalls, and widespread in 

Indo-Malaysia to the western Pacific.

Comments: 

Easily recognized by its spike-like pneumatophore breathing roots and 

round, relatively light green leaves, and in evening to early morning, 

from the white masses of stamens of flowers in the calyx cup, from which 

you can sometimes get a sip of nectar. Often the tallest trees in mangroves, and supporting many epiphytic mosses, ferns, and orchids.
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 217

Sonneratiaceae (now Lythraceae) Native

(A) Sonneratia alba leaves; (B) flower in bloom; (C) calyx cup with persistent pistil 

after stamens have fallen; (D) developing fruit; (E) trunk with epiphytes; (F) spike-like 

pneumatophores. 

Reed Perkins

B

A

C D

E F
218 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Commersonia bartramia (L.) Merr. 

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY

Local and common names: 

English: brown kurrajong. 

Yapese: guguw (the name “wapof” is sometimes applied to 

this tree—and both names are sometimes applied to Melochia, 

which has a similar habit and white to pink flowers). 

Ulithian: halu. 

Ifaluk: galu; kelau. 

Woleaian: gulu. 

Satawalese: alu. 

Chuukese: on. 

Pohnpean: acarido; kahil. 

Palauan: chermallueang.

Habitat and description:

Commersonia bartramia occurs 

as a shrub or small to mediumsize tree found in secondary forests and savanna areas. It is adapted to 

savannas and often flowers and fruits at a small size. Leaves: medium 

size, simple, toothed, alternate, with stellate pubescence. Flowers: white, 

borne in clusters above leaves. Fruit: round with soft bristles, appears 

burr-like, brown when ripe, one to two seeds.

Distribution: 

Native to Yap and also found throughout Micronesia and Southeast Asia 

through Malesia, eastern Australia, and parts of Polynesia.

Comments: 

This is a one of the fast-growing set of secondary “bandage trees” that 

grow up in disturbed areas, covering soil and reducing erosion. It is 

adapted to harsh conditions and frequent fires in savannas, resprouting from the base when burned and often flowering and fruiting while 

shrub-sized. Sometimes used for house posts.
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 219

Sterculiaceae (now Malvaceae) Native

(A) Commersonia bartramia tree in bloom; (B) and 

(C) flowers and developing fruit; (D) flowers and 

flowering branch.

A B

C D
220 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Heritiera littoralis Dry. 

Local and common names: 

English: looking-glass tree. 

Yapese: rung. 

Palauan: chebibech. 

Chamorro: ufa. 

Chuukese: zwobott. 

Pohnpean: marapwenseth. 

Habitat and description:

A medium to large tree found 

at the landward edge of mangroves and along rivers. Distinguished by white undersides of leaves. 

Leaves: simple, entire, alternate, 8 to 35 cm long, 3 to 12 cm wide, ovate 

to elliptic, lower surface silvery white. Flowers: 4 to 6 mm long, borne in 

axillary panicles. Fruit: an oval boat shaped nut with a tall keel on one 

side about 8.5 cm long by 4.5 cm wide.

Distribution: 

Throughout the Carolines and Marianas; Southeast Asia, and the Pacific,

Comments: 

Used in canoe building, carving, and medicine. The lightweight seeds 

fall into the water and float along like little sailboats (see photo D) to be 

distributed along coasts.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 221

Native

(A) Heritiera littoralis tree, 

(B) whitish underside of 

leaf; (C) fruit; (D) floating 

fruit dispersion. 

Sterculiaceae (now Malvaceae)

A B

C

D
222 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Klienhovia hospita (L.)

Local and common names: 

Palauan: madudiu.

Habitat and description:

Small to medium irregular trees with fibrous bark uncommon at 

forest edges and in low areas, around taro patches. Leaves: simple, 

with irregular shallow indentations along edge, alternate; petioles 

long, leaves suborbicular-ovate, cordate to sagitate at base, acuminate 

at tip, three- to seven-nerved at base. Flowers: large, freely branched 

terminal panicle, pink and yellow, five-parted, slightly irregular. 

Fruit: a membranous, inflated, reticulate-veined, five-lobed, fivevalved capsule.

Distribution: 

India to tropical Africa, Malesia, Pacific, and Australia; reported to 

occur throughout Caroline Islands of Micronesia. 

Comments: 

Listed for Yap but not common.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 223

Native

(A) Kleinhovia hospita sapling; (B) branch with fruit.

Sterculiaceae (now Malvaceae)

B

A
GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY

224 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Melochia villosissima Presl.;

Melochia compacta Hochr.

Local and common names: 

Yapese: guguw. 

Palauan: chermallucheang. 

Ulithian: huruwel. 

Chamorro: sayafe. 

Carolinian: ghossutil. 

Pohnpean: kotol.

Habitat and description:

Shrub to small trees growing in secondary vegetation and at edges of 

forest. Leaves: simple, toothed, alternate, cordate (heart-shaped), 5 to 

15 cm long by 3 to 10 cm wide with proportions varying by species 

or variety. Melochia villosissima is covered with fine hairs, many of 

them stellate (star-shaped as seen with lens), giving the leaf a silvery 

appearance; M. compacta has fewer hairs. Flowers: on panicles that 

extend beyond the leaves on long stems, petals pink with dark centers, 

to almost white. Fruit: woody, hairy, egg-shaped capsules with five 

chambers, seeds about 3.5 mm and rounded.

Distribution: 

Melochia villosissima is considered endemic to Micronesia. Other 

species of Melochia are found in Micronesia and tropical Asia.

Comments: 

There appear to be at least two species of Melochia on Yap as well as 

varieties and perhaps hybrids, but as this is not established, they are 

treated together here. Photos show a range of types. The Palauan name 

likens this small tree to Hibiscus tiliaceous. The Yapese name “guguw” 

is also applied to Commersonia bartramia.
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 225

Native

(A) Melochia spp. whole tree; (B), (C), and (D) trees with varying 

flower color and degrees of hairiness of leaves.

Sterculiaceae (now Malvaceae)

B

A

C

D
226 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

English: cocoa.

Yapese: kakaw. 

Spanish: cacao. 

Chamorro: kakao. 

Palauan: sukalatei.

Habitat and description:

Small trees scattered in agroforests. Leaves: simple, with wavy margins, 

oblong, up to 30 cm long, reddish when young, and limply hanging 

down, becoming firm when older. Flowers: on trunk and older branches, 

several flowers on short pedicels, calyx pink, five-parted, corolla yellow, 

petals concave at base, at apex with a strap like appendage, ten stamens , 

stigma five-lobed. Fruit: oblong, cylindrical, 15 to 25 cm long, longitudinally ribbed, ripening yellow or red, with a thick leathery rind and large 

seeds embedded in sweet pulp.

Distribution: 

Introduced throughout Micronesia; originally from South America.

Comments: 

Introduced to Yap and naturalized, persisting in agroforests; the seeds 

are the source of chocolate.

Theobroma cacao L.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 227

Introduced

(A) Theobroma cacao small tree; (B) fruit; (C) leaves.

Sterculiaceae (now Malvaceae)

B

A

C
228 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Muntingia calabura L.

Local and common names: 

English: Panama cherry. 

Yapese: budo’. 

Palauan: budo. 

Spanish/Chamorro: mansanita. 

Habitat and description:

A small tree with tiers of branches that form a spreading crown, scattered 

in secondary vegetation and residential areas. Leaves: simple, asymmetrical, alternate, with toothed edges, 2.5 to 15 cm long by 1 to 6.5 cm 

wide, soft and borne in two vertical rows in the same plane, parallel to 

the ground. Flowers: white with many yellow stamens, borne singly 

on 2 to 3 cm axillary pedicels. Fruit: round, with a persistent stigma 

forming a star at the tip, green maturing red, and containing many 

tiny seeds about 0.5 mm in diameter in a sweet juice.

Distribution: 

Marianas, Palau, and Yap and probably elsewhere in Micronesia; 

originally from tropical America.

Comments: 

A lovely little tree, beloved by small birds and children attracted to the 

sweet fruit. A tea-like drink can be brewed from leaves, and the bark is 

fibrous, tough, and suitable for cordage.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 229

Tiliaceae (now Malvacea) Introduced

(A) Muntingia calabura tree; (B) flower; (C) fruit.

B

A

C

B C
230 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Trichosperma ikutai Kaneh.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY

Local and common names: 

Yapese: wapof.

Habitat and description: 

A medium-size tree 

common in savannas and 

also found in secondary 

forests and forest edges, with 

smooth bark and ascending 

branches, with stellate (starlike) pubescence (fine hairs) 

on young branches, petioles, 

leaves, and inflorescences. 

Leaves: simple, alternate, oblong-ovate about 8 to 15 cm long, 6 to 7.5 cm 

wide, entire or shallowly toothed, unequal at base of leaf, lateral veins 

seven, straight, with a pair of nectar glands near the petiole; petiole 1 to 

1.5 cm long. Flowers: borne in terminal cymes about 10 cm long, with 

five sepals covered with white scales, numerous stamens, style short, 

hairy. Fruit: a clam shell like capsule with wings about 2 cm long and 

3 cm wide, covered with hairs and opening at top rather like a clam. 

Distribution: 

Endemic to Yap.

Comments: 

A common tree on Yap that is found nowhere else in the world. Another 

species, Trichosperma ledermanni, the “elsau” tree of Palau, is endemic 

to Palau. It has smaller smooth leaves and three main veins rising from 

the base.
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 231

Tiliaceae (now Malvacea) Native, endemic

B

A

C D

(A) Trichosperma ikutai tree; (B) and (C) flowers; (D) seed pods.
232 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: zahle (Kanehira 1933).

Habitat and description:

Medium to large tree to 10 m in 

height and 50 cm in diameter, 

in native forests. Trunk: erect, 

bark smooth, branchlets smooth. 

Leaves: simple, entire, alternate, 

long ovate, 10 to 12 cm long, 4 

to 5 cm broad, acuminate, blunt at base, often unequal, lateral veins four 

on each side, petiole 5 to 10 mm long. Flowers: in a cyme arising in leaf 

axil at end of branchlet, inflorescence shorter than the leaf. Flowers have 

a calyx of four to eight sepals and no petals, four to eight stamens, two 

styles. Fruit: ovoid, tapering at tip, 6 mm long.

Distribution: 

In Micronesia, reported only from Yap, Palau, and Chuuk; also found in 

Australia and some Pacific islands.

Comments: 

Uncommon to rare.

Celtis paniculata Planch.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 233

(A) and (B) Celtis paniculata flowering and fruiting branches of 

Australian trees. 

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial 

Research Organisation

Ulmaceae (now Cannabacea) Native

B

A
GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY

234 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Yapese: wunin.

Habitat and description:

A shrub to small tree growing at forest edges and in disturbed areas, 

with fine hairs on branches, rather smooth bark. Leaves: simple, alternate, toothed along margins, ovate-lanceolate, cordate at base, up to 10 

by 5 cm, three nerves, silky hairs on underside. Flowers: tiny, greenish, 

born in axillary cymes. Fruit: round, about 4 mm in diameter with 

remnants of two stigmas at tip.

Two varieties of Trema cannabina Lour. (Synonym: Trema amboinensis 

(Willd.) Bl.) are listed for Yap: cannabina and scabra. This is a smaller 

tree with long branches. Leaves: simple, fine toothed, alternate, on 

short petioles, long-ovate, with unequal sides, arranged in two rows, 

rough above, soft and hairy below, about 7 to 15 cm long with a slender 

tip and three prominent nerves at the heart-shaped or rounded base. 

Flowers: numerous and tiny in clusters, five-parted. Fruit: ovoid, 

black, hairy, slightly fleshy, and about 3 mm long.

Distribution for Trema orientalis var. viridis: 

Yap, Palau, Marianas; southern Asia through Malaysia. 

Distribution for Trema cannabina var. cannabina: 

Yap, Palau, Rota; for Trema cannabina var. scabra: Yap and Palau. The 

species is originally from India, south China, and the Pacific.

Comments: 

This small tree is a common secondary “bandage tree” that grows up 

in cleared areas and reduces soil erosion. Then when it is topped over 

by taller trees, it generally declines and dies out. Used to cover harvested produce in Yapese gardening baskets.

Trema orientalis var. viridis Laut.

Trema cannabina Lour.
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 235

(A) Trema sp. bushy small 

tree; (B) flowering branch.

Ulmaceae (now Cannabacea) Native

B

A
236 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Satawalese and Ifaluk: aroma. 

Ulithian: iourama. 

Woleaian: yaroma. 

Chamorro: amahadyan. 

Habitat and description:

Shrub to small tree, of limestone islands and atolls, especially common 

on atolls on ocean side between beach strand and atoll forest. Branches 

dark reddish brown with prominent leaf scars and lenticels, easily broken. Leaves: alternate, shiny light green above, silvery grey puberulent 

below, ovate-acuminate, obtuse or acute at base, petioles of different 

sizes, large and small leaves often born alternately, largest up to 15 cm 

long by 8 cm wide; margins coarsely serrate, petioles thin, 5 to 8 cm long. 

Inflorescence: short spike, borne below leaves; flowers tiny and without 

petals, either male or female borne in cluster. Fruit: small, embedded in 

roundish, whitish, gelatinous mass.

Distribution: 

Malaysia to Polynesia; native to Micronesia.

Comments: 

This shrub to small tree is rare to absent from mainland Yap but is 

common on outer islands. The inner bark provides strong fibers. 

Pipturus argenteus (Forst. f.) Weddell

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 237

(A) Pipturus argenteus leaves and inflorescence; (B) trunk.

Urticaceae Native

B

A
238 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonym: 

Listed in Fosberg et al. (1979) as Avicennia marina var. alba (Bl.) Bakh.

Local and common names: 

Palauan: dadait.

Habitat and description:

An uncommon mangrove tree in Yap, growing along brackish river 

and shore. Distinguished by thin erect pencil-like pneumatophores 

(breathing roots) and small leaves. Leaves: simple, entire, opposite, 

oblong-elliptic or lanceolate, about 3 to 16 cm long by 1.5 to 5 cm wide, 

medium or olive green above, whitish underneath. Flowers: yellow, 

corolla with four to uncommonly five petals on Yap trees, 4 to 7 mm 

long by 5 to 8 mm wide. Fruit: a curved gray green pod shaped rather 

like an apostrophe.

Distribution: 

In Micronesia, occurs only in Yap and Palau; elsewhere, Malaysia and 

other Pacific islands.

Comments: 

Uncommon in Yap; more common on the east coast of Babeldaob, Palau. 

Avicennia alba can be distinguished from A. marina by the fruit that is 

whitish and more bulbous in A. marina, which has pale orange flowers 

as compared to the yellow flowers of A. alba.

Avicennia alba Bl.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 239

(A) Avicennia alba tree; (B) fruit; 

(C) leaves; (D) pneumatophores.

Verbenaceae (now Lamiaceae) Native

B

A

C D
240 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonyms: 

Premna obtusifolia R. Br.; 

Premna taitensis Schauer.

Local and common names: 

Yapese: arr. 

Palauan: osem. 

Ulithian: iar. 

Fais: iar. 

Woleaian: yaalu. 

Ifaluk: aroyar. 

Habitat and description:

A shrub to small tree, bark light grey often with prominent lenticels on 

new growth. Leaves: Simple, entire, opposite, ovate to cordate, pointed 

at the tip, relatively light green, about 6 to 12 cm long by 4 to 8 cm wide, 

with 4 to 7 pairs of conspicuous lateral veins, long petioles 1 to 3 cm. 

Leaves sometimes with galls (wart-like growth). Flowers: small white 

flowers in corymbs near tip of branch. Fruit: small and round, about 3 

mm, green maturing to purple-black.

Distribution: 

Throughout Micronesia and widespread Malaysia to Pacific. 

Comments: 

A common shrub in savannas and areas of secondary vegetation to a 

small to moderate-size tree in forests. This little tree is adapted to disturbance; the small tree shown to the right was knocked down by typhoon 

Sudal and resprouted and flowered within 4 weeks after the typhoon. 

It is also adapted to fire in savannas where it resprouts from trunk and 

roots within weeks of the fire. Leaves have a subtle pleasant smell. Used 

medicinally, and the flowers in “nunu” leis.

Premna serratifolia L.

Satawalese: eariar. 

Chamorro: ahgao. 

Chuukese: noir. 

Pohnpean: topwuk. 

Kosraean: fienkek. 

Marshallese: kaar.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 241

(A) Premna serratifolia bush; 

(B) inflorescences sprouting 

from storm damaged tree.

Verbenaceae (now Lamiaceae) Native

B

A
242 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Tectona grandis L.f.

Local and common names: 

English: teak.

Habitat and description:

A large introduced tree that has naturalized around urban areas, trunk 

tall and straight, light colored and smooth. Leaves: simple, opposite, 

ovate-elliptic and very large, 30 to 75 cm long by 15 to 40 cm wide, 

pubescent with branched hairs dorsally, petiole to 6 cm. Flowers: in 

large panicles 30 to 50 cm long, flowers on very short stems, corolla 

about 1 cm wide, white or pink. Fruit: a drupe 3 cm wide by about 1.5 

cm thick.

Distribution: 

Recorded from Guam and Palau but also present on Yap and planted 

elsewhere; originally from Southeast Asia and Indonesia.

Comments: 

Easily distinguished by the large leaves and large panicles of small 

flowers. A valuable timber species.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 243

Introduced

(A) Tectona grandis tree; 

(B) leaf and trunk.

Verbenaceae (now Lamiaceae)

B

A
244 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Local and common names: 

Palauan: klesechedui. 

Chamorro: agalondi.

Carolinian: schall.

Habitat and description:

A shrub to small tree in urban and village areas, with scandent (long, 

leaning) branches that are somewhat four-angled. Leaves: compound, 

usually with three leaflets but sometimes more. Linear-lanceolate, 

unequal in size, the larger ones being about 11 cm, with petioles of different lengths, underside of leaves with very fine silvery hairs, upper 

surface green, leaves fragrant when crushed. Flowers: born in terminal 

clusters of small lilac flowers. Fruit: small, round drupes that ripen 

black, 5 to 6 mm in diameter and containing one seed.

Distribution: 

Widespread in Micronesia and tropics.

Comments: 

Used as a mosquito repellent.

Vitex negundo L. var. bicolor (Willd.) Lam

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 245

Native

(A) Vitex negundo branch with fruit; 

(B) leaves; (C) buds, flowers, and 

immature fruit.

Verbenaceae (now Lamiaceae)

B

A

C
246 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Synonyms: 

Rinorea palaucica Kaneh. & Hatus.;

Rinorea carolinensis Kaneh.

Habitat and description:

Small to medium-size tree growing in native forest and edges of forests. 

Trunk has distinctive knobby branch scars. Branches spiral about main 

branch clockwise so that the fourth branch lines up between first and 

second branches at about 405 degrees so that leaves don’t overlap much 

(see photo B). Leaves: appear pinnate from afar but are simple and 

entire; mature leaves of upper branches of Yap specimen are oblong, 

being about 9 to 10 cm long and 8 to 9 cm wide; stipules are about 11 

mm long. New leaves sprouting from base of trunk are about 13.5 cm 

long and 6 cm wide, petiole 1.5 to 2 cm long with minute pubescence. 

Flowers: axillary, arising from twig where leaves have fallen or in 

clusters in old branch scars on trunk; greenish white and about 7 mm 

across with five sepals. Fruit: a capsule.

Distribution: 

Palau, Yap, India.

Comments: 

The trunk and limbs of this tree are sometimes used in decorative 

furniture because of the unusual knobs. This tree seems to grow only 

in secondary and mature native forests.

Rinorea benghalensis (Wall.) O. Ktze.

GENUS / SPECIES / AUTHORITY
FAMILY STATUS

Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 247

Violaceae Native

(A) Rinorea 

benghalensis

canopy; 

(B) branching 

pattern; 

(C) trunk; 

(D) fruit; 

(E) flowers.

B

A

C

D

E
248 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Acknowledgments

Initial support to develop this guide was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 

Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. Thanks to Joseph Donnegan for expressing the need for this report and to Katie Friday of the 

Pacific Southwest Research Station, Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, 

for handling the necessary arrangements. Subsequent support to complete and edit the guide was provided by the Pacific Southwest Research 

Station’s Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry and the Yap Institute of 

Natural Science.

I am grateful to many people for helping me bring this book together in a 

limited time. When I told her about the project, Agnes Reinhart offered 

slides of trees that she had taken. The late Dr. Lynn Raulerson always 

welcomed me back to the University of Guam Herbarium and pointed 

out useful information. In writing species descriptions, I drew from Lynn 

and Agnes’ book on the trees and shrubs of the Northern Mariana (Raulerson and Rinehart 1994), their compilation of Kanehira’s work (Raulerson and Rinehart 1994), and the Flora of Guam by my teacher Ben Stone 

(1970). I extracted the list of Yap’s trees from the checklists of the flora of 

Micronesia by my teacher and mentor Dr. F.R. Fosberg (Fosberg, Sachet, 

and Oliver 1979, 1982, 1987). Dr. Arthur Whistler provided nomenclatural updates for my list of trees on Yap, and made helpful suggestions. 

Other nomenclatural updates are from Mabberley (2008), Herrera et al. 

(2010), and Costion and Lorence (2012). Dr. Michael J. Balick, Katherine 

Herrera of the New York Botanical Garden, and Ann Hillmann Kitalong 

of the Environment Inc. graciously reviewed the manuscript and provided helpful suggestions. 

Most of the photographs in the guide are mine, initially taken with a 

simple camera and toward the end of the project with a more sophisticated camera provided by the Yap Institute of Natural Science. Thanks to 

Dr. Pat Collins of the Coral Reef Research Institute, and Mike Veitch for 

teaching me how to use the new camera. Credits for figures and photographs taken by others are indicated. 
Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 249

Many people worked with me in the field. Special thanks go to Martin 

Faimau, Francis Ruegorong, Pius Liyagel, Henry Liyerang, Raphaela 

Tinngin, Theo Thinfal, Andrew Yinnifel, Samantha Ruruw, Emmanuel 

Julio, and Leah Tamag. Melinda Pinnifen helped both in the field and in 

the lab. Students from Yap Catholic High School collected seeds of Adenanthera from their forest. Megan Parker helped with initial editing, and 

Kate Leeguyed Mulalap helped with species spreadsheets and identifying 

terms to include in the glossary. Thanks to Dr. Norm Duke for teaching 

us about mangroves in the field, especially lovely gestalt features like the 

“happy faceness” of the hybrid Rhizophora. Thanks also to colleagues in 

Palau: Obak Clarence, Ann Hillmann Kitalong, Joel Miles, Tarita Holm, 

Bernie Keldermans, Faustina Rehuhur-Marug, Carol Emmarois, Ebais 

Sadang, Joe Tiobech, Alice Pangelinan, Pua Michel, Kashgar Rengulbai, 

and Marcello Brel, the “Dean of Micronesian Foresters.” Palau and Yap 

share many trees and it is always interesting to compare species, subspecies, and varieties present on our two islands.

A special thanks to Lonnie Fread who worked beyond the call of duty 

to get photographs, drawings, and text into the proper format. Without 

his calm, competent help in getting the material arranged on paper, the 

species might well have remained scattered in the field and in my mind. 

Finally, a big thanks to my family, especially Falanruw, Leetun, and 

Piningrow, for their help and for putting up with my interest and long 

hours spent bringing this book together. While many people have helped 

me, I am responsible for any mistakes in this guide and welcome your 

corrections and suggestions.

Kammagargad and thank you,

Margie Vernita Cushing Falanruw
250 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

References

Bisby, F.; Roskov, Y.; Culham, A.; Orrell, T.; Nicolson, D.; Paglinawan, 

L.; Bailly, N.; Appeltans, W.; Kirk, P.; Bourgoin, T.; Baillargeon, G.; 

Ouvrard, D., eds. 2012. Species 2000 and ITIS Catalogue of Life, 2012 

Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, United Kingdom: University of Reading. http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/. (August 13, 2013).

Costion, C.M.; Lorence, D.H. 2012. The endemic plants of Micronesia: 

a geographical checklist and commentary. Micronesica. 43(1): 51–100.

Duke, N.C. 2006. Rhizophora apiculata, R. mucronata, R. stylosa, R 

× annamalai, R. × lamarckii (Indo-West Pacific stilt mangrove). 

In: Elevitch, C.R., ed. Traditional trees of Pacific Islands: their 

culture, environment, and use. Holualoa, HI: Permanent Agriculture 

Resources: 641–660. 

Falanruw, M.C.; Cole, T.G.; Maka, J.E.; Whitesell, C.D. 1990. Common and scientific names of trees and shrubs of Mariana, Caroline, 

and Marshall Islands. Resour. Bull. PSW-RB-26. Berkeley, CA: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research 

Station. 91 p.

Falanruw, M.C.; Whitesell, C.D.; Cole, T.C.; MacLean, C.D.; 

Ambacher, A.H. 1987. Vegetation survey of Yap, Federated States of 

Micronesia. Resour. Bull. PSW-RB-21. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range 

Experiment Station. 50 p.

Falanruw, M.V.C. 1976. Life on Guam: savanna, old fields, roadsides. 

Agana, Guam: Guam Department of Education. 74 p.

Falanruw, M.V.C. 2002. Terrestrial biodiversity of the Federated States 

of Micronesia. Report prepared for the FSM National Biodiversity 

Strategy and Action Plan. Palikir, Pohnpei: Federated States of 

Micronesia, Department of Economic Affairs. 32 p.

Falanruw, M.V.C. 2010. Yap natural heritage, a terrestrial rapid 

ecological assessment. Yap Institute of Natural Science.

Fosberg, F.R. 1960. The vegetation of Micronesia. Bulletin of the 

American Museum of Natural History. 119: 1–75.
Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 251

Fosberg, F.R.; Sachet, M.H.; Oliver, R.L. 1979. A geographical checklist 

of the Micronesian Dicotyledonae. Micronesica. 15(1–2): 41–295.

Fosberg, F.R.; Sachet, M.H.; Oliver, R.L. 1982. A geographical 

checklist of the Micronesian Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms. 

Micronesica. 18(1): 23–82.

Fosberg, F.R.;, Sachet, M.H.; Oliver, R.L. 1987. A geographical checklist 

of the Micronesian Monocotyledonae. Micronesica. 20(1–2): 19–129.

Gowers, S. 1976. Some common trees of the New Hebrides and their 

vernacular names. Port Vila, New Hebrides: Forestry Section, 

Department of Agriculture. 189 p.

Herrera, K.; Lorence, D.H.; Flynn, T.; Balick, M.J. 2010. Checklist 

of the vascular plants of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia with 

local names and uses. Allertonia. Vol. 10. 

International Union for Conservation of Nature [IUCN]. 2012. IUCN 

red list of threatened species. Version 2012.2. http://www.iucnredlist.

org. (17 October 2012).

Kanehira, R. 1932–1935. New or noteworthy trees from Micronesia, 

The Botanical Magazine, Tokyo. In: Rinehart, A.; Raulerson, L. Trees 

and shrubs of the Caroline Islands, selections from Kanehira, R. 1932–

35, with revisions from F.R. Fosberg (1979), Geographical checklist of 

Micronesian Dicotyledonae, and photographs and comments by A.F. 

Rinehart and L. Raulerson (1994), University of Guam Herbarium 

(GUAM). Contribution No. 27.

Kanehira, R. 1933. Flora Micronesica, Book I—A general sketch of the 

flora of Micronesia. Translation prepared by United States Army 

Pacific, Tokyo, Japan 1958. 109 p.

Kanehira, R. 1933. Flora Micronesica, Book II—Trees and shrubs of Micronesia. In: Rinehart, A.; Raulerson, L., eds. Trees and shrubs of the 

Caroline Islands, Selections from Kanehira, R. 1932–35, with revisions 

from F.R. Fosberg (1979) Geographical checklist of Micronesian 

Dicotyledonae, and photographs and comments by A. F. Rinehart 

and L. Raulerson (1994), University of Guam Herbarium (GUAM). 

Contribution No. 27.
252 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Kitalong, A.H.; DeMeo, R.A.; Holm, T. 2008. Native trees of Palau, a 

field guide. Koror, Palau: The Environment Inc. 237 p.

Lawrence, G.H.M. 1969. Taxonomy of vascular plants. New York: The 

Macmillan Company. 823 p.

Little, E.L., Jr.; Wadsworth, F.H. 1964. Common trees of Puerto Rico 

and the Virgin Islands. Agric. Handb. 249. Washington, DC: 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 557 p.

Little, E.L., Jr.; Skolmen, R.G. 1989. Common forest trees of Hawaii. 

Agric. Handb. 679. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service. 321 p. 

Mabberley, D.J. 2008. Mabberley’s plant-book: a portable dictionary 

of plants, their classifications, and uses. New York: Cambridge 

University Press. 1021 p.

MacLean, C.D.; Cole, T.G.; Whitesell, C.D.; McDuffie, K.E. 1988.

Timber resources of Kosrae, Pohnpei, Truk and Yap, Federated States 

of Micronesia. Resour. Bull. PSW-24. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range 

Experiment Station. 8 p.

Moore, H.E.; Fosberg, F.R. 1956. The palms of Micronesia and the 

Bonin Islands. Gentes Herbarium. 8(6): 423–478.

Neal, M.C. 1965. In gardens of Hawaii. Honolulu, HI: Bishop Museum 

Press. 924 p.

Raulerson, L.; Rinehart, A.F. 1991. Trees and shrubs of the Northern 

Mariana Islands. Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 

Islands: Coastal Resources Management. 120 p.

Royal Botanical Gardens. 2010. World checklist of selected plant 

families. London: Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. http://www.kew.org/

wcsp/. (20 August 2013).

Smith, A.C. 1979–1991. Flora vitiensis nova, a new flora of Fiji. 

5 Vol. Lawai and Kauai, HI: Pacific Botanical Garden.

Stemmermann, L. 1981. A guide to Pacific wetland plants. Honolulu, 

HI: U.S Army Corps of Engineers. 118 p.
Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 253

Stone, B.C. 1970. The flora of Guam: a manual for the identification of 

the vascular plants of the island. Micronesica. (6). 659 p.

Whistler, W.A. 2004. Wayside plants of the islands: a guide to the 

lowland flora of the Pacific Islands. Honolulu, HI: Isle Botanica. 202 p.

Whitmore, T.C. 1966. Guide to the forests of the British Solomon 

Islands. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. 208 p.

Glossary

Acuminate—Gradually and concavely tapering to a narrow, sharp point.

Acute—sharp point.

Alternate—One leaf per node.

Apex—Tip.

Axillary—Situated between the leaf petiole and stem.

Berry—A small fleshy fruit with two or more seeds.

Bipinnately—Compound: two times pinnate.

Bisexual—Having male and female organs in the same flower.

Bract—Modified leaf.

Bracteole—A secondary modified leaf.

Calyx—Outer whorl of the flower enclosing the flower bud.

Campanulate—Bell like.

Chartaceous—With a papery texture, usually not green.

Compound—Leaves divided into leaflets.

Cordate—Heart-shaped.

Coriaceous—Leathery texture.

Corolla—Flower petals.

Corymb—A flattened and short flower cluster with younger flowers in 

the center.

Corymbose—Flat-topped or convex flower cluster.

Crenate—Rounded tooth.

Cuneate—Wedge-shaped, with narrow part at point of attachment.
254 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Cyme—Cluster of flowers with the oldest ones at the end or center.

Dioecious—Male and female flowers on separate plants.

Drupe—A fleshy fruit with one seed inside in a hard shell, like Cerebera.

Elliptic—Shape wih wides part in the center and the two ends are equal.

Emarginate—Leaf with a notch at the tip.

Endocarp—Inner layer of a fruit.

Entire—Continuous leaf margin without teeth or lobes.

Exserted—Sticking out.

Glabrous—Hairless, smooth.

Globose—Spherical.

Impairpinnate—Odd pinnate or unequal leaflets.

Inferior—Sepals above ovary or fruit.

Inflorescence—Flower cluster.

Internode—Between the nodes.

Interpetiolar—Between two leaf stalks.

Jugous—In pairs.

Lanceolata—Oblong.

Lanceolate—Lance- or spear-shaped.

Leaflet—A division of a compound leaf.

Lenticels—Openings on stem for air exchange.

Merous—Parts.

Monoecious—Male and female flowers on same plant.

Nectary—A gland or tissue that secretes nectar.

Node—Point of attachment of a leaf or stem.

Oblanceolate—Inversely lance-shaped.

Oblong—Longer than wide.

Obovate—Oval with widest part towards tip, inversely egg-shaped.

Obovoid—Inversely ovoid.

Obtuse—Rounded.

Odd pinnate—Pinnately compound leaf divided into leaflets that are 

unpaired at the tip.
Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 255

Opposite—Two leaves attached at node directly across from each other.

Ovary—Female part of flower with embryos and seeds.

Ovate—Egg-shaped.

Palmate—Lobed or hand-like.

Panicle—Branched cluster of stalked flowers that bloom from the outside toward the center and may produce new flowers indefinitely borne 

upon the secondary branches.

Pedicel—Flower stalk.

Peduncle—Stalk of a single or cluster of flowers.

Perianth—Petals and sepals.

Pericarp—Outer wall of a ripe ovary or fruit.

Persistent—Remaining attached to a part of a plant.

Petal—One of the individual parts of the corolla.

Petiole—Leaf stalk.

Petiolule—Leaflet stalk.

Petiolule—Stalk of a leaflet.

Pinna—Leaflet of a compound leaf.

Pinnate—Compound leaf with leaflets arranged along both sides of an 

elongated axis.

Pinnately—Resembling a feather, having similar parts arranged on 

opposite sides of an axis like the small veins off the main vein of a leaf.

Proximal—At the base.

Pyramidal—Pyramid shape.

Raceme—A simple long group of flowers with stalked flowers on a 

main axis.

Rachis—Axis of a compound leaf or flower cluster.

Sepal—One of the individual parts of the calyx.

Serrate—Tooth like margins.

Sessile—Lacking a stalk.

Shrub—A perennial woody plant or relatively small stature, with 

several stems arising from the base.

Stamen—Male flower part.
256 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Staminate—Unisexual flower with stamens but no female parts.

Staminode—A modified stamen that does not produce pollen.

Stipules—Two appendages at the base of the leaf stalk.

Style—Slender stalk that connects the stigma to the ovary.

Subglobose—Nearly globe-shaped.

Subsessile—Nearly stalkless.

Subtend—Attached below.

Succulent—Fleshy.

Superior—Sepals below ovary or fruit.

Syncarp—A fruit formed from fused ovaries of more than one flower.

Synconium—Flower or fruit that the receptacle forms a globe-like 

structure with flowers inside.

Terete—Round in cross section.

Terminal—At the end.

Trifoliate—Compound leaf with three leaflets.

Tripinnate—With leaflets divided into even small leaflets or three 

times pinnate.

Truncate—Appears cut off.

Umbel—Flat or round flower cluster with flower stalks from a single 

origin and the oldest flowers in the center.

Unisexual—Flowers without either stamens or an ovary.

Whorled—More than two leaves per node.
Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 257

Field Guide Checklist

This section conveys scientific names of species in the order in which 

they appear in this guide. Current species names are in bold italics, 

whereas synonyms (other scientific names that have been used for a 

species), are in normal italics, as follows:

Family

Genus / species

 Synonym(s)

Recent advances in plant taxonomy have resulted in changes in scientific names and realignment of some plant genera and families. To avoid 

confusion for those accustomed to names in current use, trees described 

in this guide are arranged alphabetically by the scientific names more 

familiar to local foresters and used in locally available literature. New 

names and alignments that will eventually become more widely known 

are presented in brackets. To search for new names alphabetically, use 

the index. 

An asterisk (*) indicates species that have been introduced to Yap.

Gymnosperms

Cycadaceae

 Cycas micronesica K.D. Hill

 C. rumphii sensu auct. non Miq.

 C. circinials L.

Araucariaceae (Palmae)

* Araucaria heterophylla (Salisb.) Franco

Monocots

Arecaceae

* Areca catechu L.

* Cocos nucifera L.

* Heterospathe elata Scheff. var. palauensis (Becc.) Becc.

* Metroxylon amicarum (H. Wend.) Becc.

 Nypa fruticans Wurmb.

Pandanaceae

 Pandanus dubius Spreng.

 Pandanus tectorius Parkinson 

 Pandanus yapensis Mart. Ex. Kaneh.
258 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Dicots

Anacardiaceae

* Anacardium occidentale L.

 Buchanania engleriana Volk.

 Campnosperma brevipetiolata Volk.

* Mangifera indica L.

 Rhus taitensis Guill.

 Semecarpus venenosus Volk.

* Spondias pinnata Kurz.

* Spondias dulcis Forst. f.

Annonaceae

* Annona cherimola Mill

* Annona muricata L.

* Annona reticulata L.

* Annona squamosa L.

* Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook. f. & Thoms.

Apocynaceae

 Cerbera manghas L.

 Ochrosia oppositifolia (Lam.) K. Schum.

 Neisosperma oppositifolium (Lam.) Fosb. & Sachet

* Plumeria obtusa L.

* Plumeria rubra L.

Araliaceae

 Meryta senfftiana Volk.

Barringtoniaceae (Lecythidaceae)

 Barringtonia asiatica (L.) Kurz

 Barringtonia racemosa (L.) Spreng.

Bignoniaceae [now included in Lecythidaceae]

 Dolichandrone spathacea (L. f.) K. Schum.

* Spathodea campanulata Beauv.

Bombacaceae [now a subfamily in Malvaceae]

* Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn.

Boraginaceae

 Cordia subcordata Lam.

 Tournefortia argentea L. f.

 Messerschmidia argentea (L. f.) I. M. Johnst.

 [Heliotropium foertherianum Diane & Hilger]
Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 259

Capparidaceae [Capparaceae]

 Crateva religiosa Forst. f.

 Crateva speciosa Volk.

Casuarinaceae

 Casuarina equisetifolia L.

 Casuarina litorea L.

Chrysobalanaceae

 Atuna racemosa Raf.

 Cyclandrophora laurina (A. Gray) Kosterm.

 Parinari laurina A. Gray

 Parinarium glaberrimum sensu auct. non Hassk.

 Maranthes corymbosa Bl.

 Parinari corymbosa (Bl.) Miq.

Clusiaceae (formerly Garciniaceae)

 Calophyllum inophyllum L.

 Garcinia rumiyo Kaneh.

 Garcinia volkensii (Ltb.) Kosterm.

 Pentaphalangium volkensii Lauterb.

 Mammea odorata (Raf.) Kosterm.

Combretaceae

 Lumnitzera littorea (Jack) Voigt

 Terminalia catappa L. 

 Terminalia samoensis Rech.

Ebenaceae

 Diospyros elliptica (Forst.) P.S. Green 

 Diospyros ferrea sensu auct. non (Willd.) Bakh.

Euphorbiaceae

 Drypetes yapensis Tuyama [now in Putranjivaceae]

 Drypetes carolinensis Kaneh.

 Excoecaria agallocha L.

 Glochidion ramiflorum Forst. [now in Phyllanthaceae]

 Macaranga carolinensis Volk.

 Mallotus papillaris (Blanco) Merr.

 Mallotus tiliaefolius Muell.-Arg.

Fabaceae (formerly Leguminosae)

* Acacia auriculifolia A. Cunn.

* Acacia confusa Merr.

* Acacia mangium Willd.

* Acacia spp.
260 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Fabaceae (formerly Leguminosae)—continued:

* Adenanthera pavonina L.

* Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth.

* Albizia retusa Benth.

* Albizia rotundata Bl. ex Miq.

* Caesalpinia sappan L.

 Cynometra ramiflora L.

* Delonix regia (Boj.) Raf.

 Dendrolobium umbellatum (L.) Benth.

 Desmodium umbellatum (L.) DC.

 Erythrina variegata L. var. orientalis (L.) Merr.

 Erythrina fusca Lour.

* Falcateria moluccana (Miq.) Barneby and Grimes

 * Paraserianthes falcataria (L.)

 * Albizia falcataria (L.) Fosb.

 * Albizia moluccana Miq.

* Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Steud.

* Inocarpus fagifer (Parkinson) Fosb.

 Intsia bijuga (Colebr.) Kuntze

* Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit

 Millettia pinnata (L.) Panigrani

 Pongamia pinnata (L.) Merr.

* Ormocarpum cochinchinense (Lour.) Merr.

 Pericopsis mooniana (Thw.) Thw.

 Pterocarpus indicus Willd.

* Samanea saman (Jacq.) Merr.

 Albizia saman (Jacq.) F. Muell.

 Serianthes kanehirae Fosb. var. yapensis Fosb.

* Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Pers.

Flacourtiaceae

 Casearia cauliflora Volk. [now in Salicaceae]

* Pangium edule Reinw. ex Bl. [now in Achariaceae]

Hernandiaceae

 Hernandia nymphaeifolia (Presl) Kubitski

 Hernandia peltata Meissn.

 Hernandia sonora sensu non L.

Lythraceae

 Pemphis acidula Forst.
Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 261

Aceae [now expanded to include Bombacaceae, Sterculiaceae, and Tiliaceae]

 Hibiscus tiliaceus L.

 Thespesia populnea (L.) Sol. ex Correa

Meliaceae

* Swietenia macrophylla King

* Swietenia mahagoni (L.) Jacq.

 Vavea pauciflora Volk.

 Xylocarpus granatum Koen.

Moraceae

* Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosb.

 Artocarpus communis Forst.

 Artocarpus incisus (Thunb.) L.f.

* Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.

 Artocarpus mariannensis Trec.

* Ficus elastica Roxb.

 Ficus microcarpa L.f. 

 Ficus prolixa Forst. f. var. carolinensis (Warb.) Fosb.

 Ficus senfftiana Warb.

 Ficus copiosa sensu auct. non Steud. 

 Ficus tinctoria Forst. F.

Myrtaceae

 Eugenia reinwardtiana (Bl.) DC.

* Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) Blake

* Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.

* Psidium guajava L.

* Syzygium malaccense (L.) Merr. & Perry

 Eugenia malaccensis L.

 Syzygium samarangense (Bl.) Merr. & Perry

 Eugenia javanica Lam.

Nyctaginaceae

 Pisonia grandis R. Br.

 Pisonia umbellifera (Forst.) Seem.

 Ceodes umbellifera Forst.

Olacaceae

 Ximenia americana L.

 Ximenia elliptica Forst.

Oxalidaceae

* Averrhoa bilimbi L.

* Averrhoa carambola L.
262 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Rhamnaceae

 Alphitonia carolinensis Hosok.

Rhizophoraceae

 Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lam.

 Ceriops tagal (Perr.) C.B. Rob.

 Rhizophora apiculata Bl.

 Rhizophora mucronata Lam.

 Rhizophora stylosa Griff.

 Rhizophora mucronata Lam. var. stylosa (Griff.) Schimper

 Rhizophora X lamarckii Montr.

Rubiaceae

 Aidia racemosa (Cav.) Tirvengadum

 Aidia cochinchinensis auct. non Lour.

* Coffea arabica L.

 Guettarda speciosa L.

 Ixora triandra Volk.

 Morinda citrifolia L.

 Mussaenda frondosa L.

 Psychotria arbuscula Volk.

 Psychotria leptothrysa Miq. var. longicarpa Val.

 Psychotria mariana Bartl. ex DC.

 Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea Gaertn.

 Tarenna sambucina (Forst. f.) Dur. ex Drake

 Timonius albus Volk.

Rutaceae

* Citrus spp. (10 species)

Sapindaceae

 Allophylus timoriensis (DC.) Bl.

 A. ternatus (Forst.) Radlk.

Sapotaceae

 Pouteria obovata (R. Br.) Baehni

 Planchonella obovata (R. Br.) Pierre

Simaroubiaceae

 Quassia indica (Gaertn,) Nooteboom

 Samadera indica Gaertn.

 Soulamea amara Lam.

Sonneratiaceae [now in Lythraceae]

 Sonneratia alba J.E. Sm.
Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 263

Sterculiaceae

 Commersonia bartramia (L.) Merr.

 Heritiera littoralis Dry.

 Kleinhovia hospita L.

 Melochia compacta Hochr.

 Melochia villosissima (Presl) Merr.

* Theobroma cacao L.

Tiliaceae

* Muntingia calabura L.

 Trichospermum ikutai Kaneh.

Ulmaceae

 Celtis paniculata Planch. [now in Cannabaceae]

 Trema cannabina Lour. [now in Cannabaceae]

 Trema amboinensis (Willd.) Bl.

 Trema cannabina Lour. [now in Cannabaceae]

Urticaceae

 Pipturus argenteus (Forst. F.) Wedd.

Verbenaceae (now included in Lamiaceae)

 Avicennia alba Bl.

 Premna serratifolia L.

 Premna obtusifolia R. Br.

 Premna taitensis Schauer

* Tectona grandis L. f.

 Vitex negundo L. var. bicolor (Willd.) Lam

 Vitex trifolia L.

Violaceae

 Rinorea benghalensis (Wall.) O. Ktze

 Rinorea palaucica Kaneh. & Hatus.

 Rinorea carolinensis Kaneh.
264 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

Index

Species scientific names (including synonyms) are listed alphabetically, 

followed by Yapese and English names, if available. An asterisk (*) 

follows some scientific names to indicate species that have been introduced to Yap. 

abas ........................................................164

abiuuch, abiich .......................................60

abrur, afrur ........................................... 216

acacia ........................................................ 92

Acacia auriculifolia* ..............................92

Acacia confusa* ......................................92

Acacia mangium* ................................... 92

Acacia spp.*............................................. 92

Achariaceae ......................................... 135

achingal .................................................... 80

adaburru ................................................ 170

Adenanthera pavonina* ........................94

adid ..........................................................64

African tulip tree ................................... 52

Aidia cochinensis .................................. 186

Aidia racemosa .................................... 186

akasia ....................................................... 92

albizia ..................................................... 108

Albizia falcataria ................................. 108

Albizia lebbeck* ....................................108

Albizia moluccana ................................108

Albizia retusa* ......................................108

Albizia rotundata* ...............................108

Albizia saman ...................................... 126

Alexandrian laurel ................................. 68

Allophylus ternatus ..............................262

Allophylus timoriensis ........................ 208

allspice ....................................................162

Alphitonia carolinensis ........................176

Anacardiaceae ....................................... 21

Anacardium occidentale* ..................... 20

angel ...................................................... 208

Annona cherimola* ............................... 34

Annona muricata* .................................34

Annona reticulata* ................................ 34

Annona squamosa* ................................34

Annonaceae ............................................35

Apocynaceae .......................................... 39

Araliaceae ............................................... 45

Araucaraiaceae ........................................ 5

Araucaria heterophylla* ..........................4

Areca catechu ........................................... 6

Arecaceae .................................................. 7

arfath .....................................................166

arr ..........................................................240

Artocarpus altilis* ................................150

Artocarpus communis .........................150

Artocarpus heterophyllus* .................. 150

Artocarpus incisus ............................... 150

Artocarpus mariannensis ................... 152

Atuna racemosa ..................................... 64

Averrhoa bilimbi* .................................174

Averrhoa carambola* ...........................174

Avicennia alba ......................................238

Avicennia marina var. alba ................ 238

arr ........................................................ 240

aw ...........................................................154

ayeng ........................................................14

banyan tree ............................................154

Barringtonia asiatica ............................ 46

Barringtonia racemosa ......................... 48

Barringtoniaceae .................................. 47

bat ............................................................84

batey ........................................................ 54

betel nut palm ........................................... 6

Biancaea sappan .....................................98

Bignoniaceae .......................................... 53

bith ...........................................................88

biut .........................................................180

biuwol ......................................................46

biyuuch ....................................................68

blaw ........................................................ 190

blinding mangrove ................................ 84

Bombacaceae ......................................... 55

Boraginaceae ..........................................57

breadfruit ...............................................150

brown kurrajong ...................................218

Bruguiera gymnorrhiza .......................178

Buchanania engleriana .........................22

budo ...................................................... 228
Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 265

bullocks-heart .........................................34

bungbeng ...............................................142

buoy ....................................................... 112

burr ..........................................................90

buw .............................................................6

buwog .......................................................10 

Caesalpinia sappan* .............................. 98

Calophyllum inophyllum ...................... 68

Campnosperma brevipetiolata .............24

Cananga odorata* ..................................36

cannonball mangrove ..........................148

Capparaceae ........................................... 61

Capparidaceae ....................................... 61

Caroline ivory nut palm ........................12

Casearia cauliflora ...............................132

cashew ...................................................... 20

Casuarina equisetifolia* ........................62

Casuarina litorea ................................... 62

Casuarinaceae ........................................63

catclaw tree ............................................106

Ceiba pentandra* ...................................54

Celtis paniculata .................................. 232

Ceodes umbellifera ...............................170

Cerbera manghas ................................... 38

Ceriops tagal .........................................180

changath ................................................. 30

chen ......................................................... 58

cherimoya ............................................. 34

choi .......................................................... 16

Chrysobalanaceae .................................65

churruwa .................................................94

Citrus spp. ............................................. 206

Citrus aurantifolia ............................... 206

Citrus aurantium ................................. 206

Citrus grandis ...................................... 206

Citrus hysterix ..................................... 206

Citrus macroptera ............................... 206

Citrus microcarpa ................................206

Clusiaceae ............................................... 68

coconut palm ............................................ 8

Cocos nucifera .......................................... 8

Coffea arabica* .....................................188

Coffea liberica* ......................................188

coffee .......................................................188

Combretaceae ........................................ 77

Commersonia bartramia .....................218

Cook pine ...................................................4

coral tree ................................................ 106

Cordia subcordata ................................. 56

Crataeva religiosa .................................. 60

Crataeva speciosa .................................. 60

cycad ........................................................... 2

Cycadaceae ...............................................3

Cycas circinalis .........................................2

Cycas micronesica ....................................2

Cycas rumphii ...........................................2

Cyclandrophora laurina ........................64

Cynometra ramiflora ...........................100

Delonix regia* .......................................102

Dendrolobium umbellatum ................104

Desmodium umbellatum .................... 104

Diospyros elliptica ..................................80

Diospyros ferrea ..................................... 80

Dolichandrone spathacea ......................50

Drypetes carolinensis .............................82

Drypetes yapensis ...................................82

eang ..........................................................14

Ebenaceae ................................................81

Erythrina fusca .....................................106

Erythrina variegata var. orientalis .... 106

Eugenia javanica ..................................166

Eugenia malaccensis ............................166

Eugenia reinwardtiana ........................158

Euphorbiaceae ....................................... 83

Excoecaria agallocha .............................84

Fabaceae .................................................. 93

Falcataria moluccana* ........................ 108

false wiliwili ........................................... 94

faltir ........................................................... 2

Ficus carolinensis .................................154

Ficus copiosa .........................................154

Ficus elastica* .......................................154

Ficus microcarpa ..................................154

Ficus prolixa ......................................... 154

Ficus prolixa var. carolinensis ............154

Ficus senfftiana .................................... 154

Ficus tinctoria ...................................... 154

Ficus virens ........................................... 154

Flacourtiaceae ......................................133

flame tree ............................................... 102

gabengbeng ............................................142

gachal .....................................................136
266 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

gal ...........................................................140

gangiy ..................................................... 138

gangich .................................................. 120

ganinityuwan ........................................116

Garcinia rumiyo .....................................70

Garcinia volkensii .................................. 72

garlic pear ................................................60

gathemach .............................................186

gingang ..................................................206

glad .......................................................... 28

Gliricidia sepium* ................................ 110

Glochidion ramiflorum ......................... 86

goligaw .................................................. 206

gonow ........................................................56

gooneg .....................................................172

grand devil’s-claws .............................. 168

grand Pisonia ........................................ 168

grapefruit .............................................. 206

guad ........................................................200

guava ...................................................... 164

Guettarda speciosa ............................... 190

guguw ......................................................218

gumor ..................................................... 128

gurgur .....................................................206

gurgur nu Waab ................................... 206

Guttiferae ................................................69

Heliotropium foertherianum ................ 58

Heritiera littoralis ................................ 220

Hernandia nymphaeifolia ...................136

Hernandia peltata ................................ 136

Hernandia sonora ................................ 136

Hernandiaceae .....................................137

Heterospathe elata .................................. 10

Hibiscus tiliaceus .................................. 140

hog plum .................................................. 32

hummingbird tree ................................130

Indian brazilwood ................................. 98

Indian mulberry ...................................194

Inocarpus edulis ....................................112

Inocarpus fagifer* ................................. 112

Intsia bijuga ........................................... 114

ironwood tree ..........................................62

Ixora triandra ....................................... 192

jak-fruit .................................................. 150

k’ing ........................................................ 176

kakaw ..................................................... 226

kalamansi .............................................. 206

kapok tree ................................................ 54

kel .............................................................. 78

Kleinhovia hospita ............................... 222

kumim .....................................................174

lach ......................................................... 124

lal ............................................................ 120

Lamiaceae ............................................. 243

Lecythidaceae ........................................ 47

lemonlime ............................................. 206

lime .........................................................206

Leguminosae ..........................................96

Leucaena glauca ....................................116

Leucaena leucocephala* .......................116

looking-glass tree .................................220

lubodol ...................................................... 74

Lumnitzera littorea .................................76

Lythraceae .............................................139

Macaranga carolinensis ........................ 88

madre de cacao ..................................... 110

mahogany .............................................. 144

Mallotus papillaris ................................. 90

Mallotus tiliaefolia ................................. 90

Malvaceae ..............................................141

Mammea odorata ................................... 74

manbul ................................................... 100

manga .......................................................26

mangeluag ..............................................194

Mangifera indica* ...................................26

mango ...................................................... 26

mangrove apple ................................... 216

mara ......................................................... 36

marathal ................................................ 206

Maranthes corymbosa ........................... 56

Melaleuca quinquenervia* ..................160

Meliaceae ...............................................145

Melochia compacta .............................. 224

Melochia villosissima ...........................224

Meryta senfftiana ................................... 44

Messerschmidia argentea ...................... 58

Metroxylon amicarum* ......................... 12

Millettia pinnata ...................................118

monkeypod ........................................... 126

Moraceae ............................................... 151

Morinda citrifolia .................................194

mother in law's tongue ........................... 96
Trees of Yap: A Field Guide 267

mountain apple ..................................... 166

mow .......................................................... 40

Muntingia calabura* ............................228

Mussaenda frondosa ............................ 196

Myrtaceae ..............................................159

natch ......................................................... 62

nedun tree ..............................................122

Neisosperma oppositifolia ..................... 40

ngelak ......................................................118

ngumol ..................................................... 86

niew .............................................................8

nipa palm ................................................. 14

Norfolk Island pine ..................................4

Nyctaginaceae ...................................... 169

Nypa fruticans .........................................14

Ochrosia oppositifolia ............................ 40

Olacaceae .............................................. 173

omail .........................................................22

orange .................................................... 206

oriental mangrove ................................178

Ormocarpum cochinchinense* ........... 120

Oxalidaceae ......................................... 175

palma brava ............................................. 10

Palmae ....................................................... 7

pamelo ................................................... 206

Panama cherry ..................................... 228

Pandanaceae ...........................................17

pandanus ..................................................16

Pandanus dubius .................................... 16

Pandanus tectorius ................................. 16

Pandanus yapensis ................................. 18

pangi fruit ..............................................134

Pangium edule .......................................134

paperbark ...............................................160

Paraserianthes falcateria .....................108

Parinari corymbosa ............................... 66

Parinarium laurina ................................64

Parinari glaberrimum ........................... 64

Pemphis acidula ....................................138

Pentaphalangium volkensii ...................72

Pericopsis mooniana ............................ 122

Perocopsis ponapensis ..........................122

Phyllanthaceae .......................................87

Phyllanthus sp. ........................................86

picklefruit .............................................. 174

pigau ......................................................... 66

Pimenta dioica ...................................... 162

Pipturus argenteus ............................... 236

Pisonia grandis ......................................168

Pisonia umbellifera ...............................170

Pithecellobium saman ..........................126

Planchonella obovata .......................... 210

plumeria ...................................................42

Plumeria obtusa* .................................... 42

Plumeria rubra* ......................................42

pomelo ................................................... 206

Pongamia pinnata .................................118

Portia tree .............................................. 142

Pouteria obovata ...................................210

Premna obtusifolia ............................... 240

Premna serratifolia .............................. 240

Premna taitensis ...................................240

Psidium guajava* ..................................164

Psychotria arbuscula ............................198

Psychotria leptothrysa ..........................198

 var. longicarpa

Psychotria mariana ..............................198

Pterocarpus indicus ..............................124

Putranjivaceae ....................................... 83

puzzle nut tree .......................................148

Quassia indica .......................................212

ramlieu ..................................................... 24

Rhamnaceae ......................................... 177

rame .......................................................... 70

rarr ..........................................................106

red sandlewood ...................................... 94

remong ngabchey .................................. 206

Rhizophora apiculata ...........................182

Rhizophora mucronata ........................182

Rhizophora stylosa ............................... 182

Rhizophora × lamarckii .......................182

Rhizophoraceae ...................................179

Rhus taitensis .......................................... 28

Rinorea benghalensis .......................... 246

Rinorea carolinensis .............................246

Rinorea palaucica .................................246

riya ............................................................ 38

rok ........................................................... 178

root beer tree ......................................... 176

rosewood ............................................... 124

rowal ....................................................... 134

roway ...................................................... 182
268 GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PSW-GTR-249

rriyou ........................................................50

rubber tree .............................................154

Rubiaceae .............................................. 187

rumea ....................................................... 72

rung .........................................................220

Rutaceae ................................................ 207

Sagisi palm ...............................................10

Salicaceae .............................................. 133

Samadera indica ................................... 212

Samanea saman* .................................. 126

Sapindaceae ..........................................209

Sapotaceae .............................................211

sausau .......................................................34

sawur ........................................................ 42

Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea ...............200

sea hibiscus ............................................140

sea mango ................................................ 38

Semecarpus venenosus ...........................30

Serianthes kanehirae var. yapensis ....128

Sesbania grandiflora* ...........................130

sibucao ..................................................... 98

siris ........................................................... 96

Simaroubiaceae ................................... 213

Sonneratia alba ..................................... 216

Sonneratiaceae .....................................217

Soulamea amara ................................... 214

sour orange ........................................... 206

soursop .....................................................34

Spathodea campanulata* ...................... 52

Spondias dulcis* ......................................32

Spondias pinnata* .................................. 32

starfruit .................................................. 174

Sterculiaceae .........................................219

sumac ........................................................28

sweet orange ..........................................206

Swietenia macrophylla* ....................... 144

Swietenia mahagoni* ............................144

Syzygium malaccense* ......................... 166

Syzygium samarangense ...................... 166

tangan-tangan ....................................... 116

tallow wood ........................................... 172

tangerine ................................................206

Tarenna sambucina ............................. 202

teak ......................................................... 242

Tectona grandis* .................................. 242

Terminalia catappa ................................ 78

Terminalia littoralis ............................... 78

Terminalia samoensis ............................ 78

tha ............................................................. 18

thatch screwpine .....................................16

there ........................................................ 210

Theobroma cacao* ................................ 226

Thespesia populnea ...............................142

thorrot .....................................................114

thow ........................................................ 150

Tiliaceae ............................................... 229

Timonius albus ..................................... 204

titimer .......................................................32

Tournefortia argentea ............................ 58

tree heliotrope .........................................58

Trema amboinensis .............................. 234

Trema cannabina ................................. 234

Trema orientalis ................................... 234

Trichospermum ikutai ......................... 230

uler .......................................................... 174

Ulmaceae ...............................................233

Urticaceae ............................................. 237

Vavea pauciflora ................................... 146

velvet leaf ................................................. 58

Verbenaceae ..........................................239

Violaceae ...............................................247

Vitex negundo var. bicolor ................. 244

wapof ...................................................... 230

wathol ....................................................... 48

weche ...................................................... 154

wunin ..................................................... 234

Ximenia americana ..............................172

Xylocarpus granatum ...........................148

yalad ........................................................66

yamgur ................................................... 148

yangach ...................................................178

yiy .............................................................. 76

zahle ....................................................... 232
This publication is available online at http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/. 

You may also order additional copies of it by sending your mailing 

information in label form through one of the following means. Please 

specify the publication file and series number.

Fort Collins Service Center

Website http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/

Telephone (970) 498-1392

FAX (970) 498-1122

E-mail rmrspubrequest@fs.fed.us

Mailing address Publications Distribution

Rocky Mountain Research Station

240 West Prospect Road

Fort Collins, CO 80526-2098

Pacific Southwest Research Station

800 Buchanan Street

Albany, CA 94710