By Christie Jones, September 30, 2008
If I had to personify the three species of Ponapea we are studying, I would say Ponapea ledermanniana, found in Kosrae and Pohnpei, is a bit of an exhibitionist. It flaunts its bright white inflorescences above the hillside canopy for all to see. Ponapea hosinoi, found in Pohnpei, is a bit shier, though it does make itself accessible in lowland forests and swamps. Its inflorescences are covered with dark brown scales that don’t really pop out in a dark forest.
Cruising the rock islands, looking for Ponapea palauensis.
Ponapea palauensis, found only in Palau, is a sneaky rascal hiding deep in ravines of jagged limestone islands with nearly inaccessible shorelines. This species has by far given us the greatest frustration and the greatest thrill of discovery.
We have hunted Ponapea palauensis for three days. Our first day was by far the easiest. We jumped in the boat and headed straight to a known population on one of the rock islands (it’s best to take a look at a map of Palau and photos of the rock islands to understand where we are).
The second day was spent driving around and hiking the large volcanic island of Babeldaob. Ponapea is not reported to grow on volcanic soil, but we had to check the area anyway. We saw other palm species, but it was a bit disappointing that we did not see any Ponapea
Today was an adventure-filled day. When I was younger I read about the “plant hunters” and imagined how exciting it would be to go on a quest of discovery. Those of you who have read David Fairchild’s tales of plant exploration probably know what I am talking about. I felt that thrill today as we took the small boat through the confusing maze of islands and inlets. We searched for points to access the islands that looked promising, and then scrambled up the razor sharp limestone ridges, wondering if our Ponapea would be on the other side.
The undercut edges of the rock islands restricts accessibility.
The thrill of adventure gave way to frustration, as time and again we scrambled up those treacherous hills and found nothing. Where could they be? What growing conditions do they like? Why can’t we seem to find them?
I had almost given up hope as we climbed up and over the last and tallest ridge of the day. On the Rock Islands, each footstep must be placed carefully. Many of the rocks are loose and fragile. One wrong step, a slip, and those jagged edges can slice the skin deeply. So up and down we went, grappling with the trees and vines until I heard Steve ahead say, “I think we’ve got something here.” Moments later Carl and I were there with him, standing under the palm we came so far to find. We couldn’t help but shout with excitement as we continued to find our Ponapea palauensis, one after another.
