~40- on islands where atomic detonations had taken place, and where radiation levels were undoubtedly higher than those on Belle Island during the Nectar survey. malities included flattening, spiral torsion of stems, stems, chlorosis, shortening, shrivelling, chromatism of stems, enlargement of inflorescences, stems, thickening and severe "die-back" of leaves and asymmetry, twisting of leaves, These abnor- and sterility of plants. crumpling and proliferation and abnormal proliferation of St. John reported finding a mutant of Guettarda speciosa on Runit Island but did not describe it. Biddulph reported spiralling and splitting of fronds on several coconut palms on Aitsu (Olive) which is located between two of the "shot" Island, islands. On the "shot" islands, the plants closest to the bomb crater centers (where radiation levels were highest) were most severely affected. were lower, In areas where radiation levels the "disturbance of ecological habits" was re- ported to be more important in excluding plants from these areas than the radiation effects from the bombs(6). wun- doubtedly many of the abnormal plants started their growth after the nuclear detonations had occurred, in impoverished soil lacking inorganic nutrients and organic matter. These