86
Figure A-2. Affected Guettarda speciosa with normal appearing Scaevola sertcea.
normal green color. Ground surveys revealed that
Scaevola sericea was common and normal in appearance. Manyof the Guettarda speciosa appeared
to be in poor condition (Figure A-2). In some,all
or nearly all the leaves were gone from the terminal 1 to 12 in. of the branches, and otherleaves
were yellowed and shriveled. In other Guetiarda,
nearly all the leaves were gone, and the bushes
appeared completely dead. More than 50% of the
Guettarda were affected in whole or part. In one
area of Naen several hundred yards inland from
the ocean beach, there wasa field of = 30 Guettarda, all of which were dead. Some young Pisonia
grandis were seen which appeared to be in good
condition. Mature Pisonia were seen which were
partially defoliated, but these did not appearto be
greatly different from those seen on RongelapIslet
on the southeast corner of Rongelap Atoll. None
of the mistletoe-like clumps described by Fosberg
were observed. Several Ochrosia oppositifolia were
seen with nearly complete defoliation, which appeared dead. A small grove of coconut trees near
the center of Naen Islet contained 4 to 5 dead
trees within a radius of 300 yards, which were
decapitated at heights 5 to 12 ft above the ground
with no evidence of axe or machete marks. Two 2headed coconut trees were seen, one with fronds
that were mostly brown and appeared dead growing from the trunk 2 ft below the true crownof
the tree. Several trees had dry and shriveled
fronds, and ~6 had deformed bulges to 8 ft be-
low the crown with apparently normal growth
abovethe bulges.
Photographs of the affected vegetation were
examined by Dr. Fosberg, and hestated that the
changes were similar to those he had previously
reported.
It is not possible to evaluate the cause of the
changes from the present observations. More extensive and detailed botanical and ecological surveys will be necessary, both on the islands that
received radiation and on those that did not, to
determine whether the changes seen bear any
relation to fallout. In particular, it should be noted
that these observations were made during the dry
season.
Weare indebted to Professor Frank Richardson
of the University of Washington for identifying the
plants, and to Commander W. Lyons, USN, for
his assistance in taking the photographs.
REFERENCES
1. Fosperc, F.R., Nature 183, 1448 (1959).
2. FosperG, F.R., Atoll Research Bulletin 61, 1-11 (1959).
3. Conarn, R.A. ET av., Medical Survey of Rongetap People,
March 1958, Four Years After Exposure to Fallout, BNL
534 (T-135).