Scaevola (Scaevola frutescens)

This stand of Scaevola is not particularly thick.

Trail to the Seven Site.

Scaevola frutescens (also known as mao or te mao) is the dense underbrush which covers many portions of the atoll. It grows quickly and rapidly fills in land that has been cleared. After many years of wrestling with scaevola using hand tools, TIGHAR has developed some pneumatic loppers that ease clearing the ground for archeological surveys.

John Claus and the pneumatic lopper.