Ascension Island
Collecting seeds of the endemic Sporobolus caespitosus
Ascension has suffered more than most islands from human introductions, and as a result has lost most of its nesting seabird colonies and many of its endemic plants. The majority of the island’s natural surface is of exposed volcanic deposits, with very little vegetation of any kind. Only the central peak, Green Mountain, supports significant plant communities, and here the majority of species are alien.
Euphorbia origanoides
Ascension was once home to four endemic flowering plant species, but two of these are now considered to be extinct. Collections of the two remaining species are at the MSB: Ascension Spurge (Euphorbia origanoides) and a grass, Sporobolus caespitosus.
(Photos by Thomas Heller)