Preliminary Checklist of the Vascular Flora of Vanuatu

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Preliminary Checklist of the Vascular Flora of Vanuatu

The following checklist provides the currently accepted scientific name of Vanuatu’s vascular plants (lycophytes,

ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms). Following each entry, the currently understood distributional status of

each species in provided in square brackets. For the sake of simplicity, autochthonous species (native to Vanuatu

and some other landmass) are labeled “Native”, whereas native plants restricted to Vanuatu are labeled

“Endemic”. “Near endemics” refer to species restricted to Vanuatu and one of two small, adjacent archipelagos

(either the Santa Cruz Islands of the Solomon Islands, or the Loyalty Islands of New Caledonia), but to not the

remaining areas of those two countries. For those species whose status as “Native” or “Introduced” remains to

be determined, a best estimate is provided, using the status indicators “Likely native” or “Likely introduced”.

Common names in Bislama (the creole language that serves as the lingua franca of Vanuatu) are provided next

to the distributional status, in parentheses, where known. Non-accepted synonyms are provided in grey typeface;

this synonymy is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather to provide the most common alternative names in use

in Vanuatu or other parts of the Pacific. Further explanatory notes (also in grey typeface) are provided for some

species. This list is not a final checklist. Rather, it is intended to be used as a tool to improve knowledge of

Vanuatu’s flora, and to encourage further study and refinement. Additions, corrections, or improvements are

actively encouraged, and may be submitted to [email protected] or [email protected].