Recent field work on Romonum (Ulalu) Island, a small
volcanic island in Chuuk Lagoon, Federated States of
Micronesia, found 44 new accounts of vascular plants.
Fosberg, Sachet and Oliver’s (1979, 1982, 1987) geographical
checklists listed only 30 species for the island,
although in 1965, Stone (1967) found 124 species of vascular
plants there. This study acknowledges the work of
Clarence Y.C. Wong, who in 1947 collected 136 species
of vascular plants and discusses the botanic history of
Romonum Island. For unexplained reasons, his work has
been largely ignored. Much remains to be discovered in
defining the biotic diversity of the Pacific Islands. Finally,
this study suggests that digital images may be a very appropriate
tool for documenting the diversity of the islands.