| Hibiscadelphus hualalaiensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Genus: | Hibiscadelphus |
| Species: | H. hualalaiensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Hibiscadelphus hualalaiensis | |
Hibiscadelphus hualalaiensis (Hualalai hau kuahiwi) [3] is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family Malvaceae that is endemic to the Big Island of Hawaii.
H. hualalaiensis is a small tree, reaching a height of 5–7 m (16–23 ft) and trunk diameter of 30 cm (12 in). [4]
It inhabits dry and mixed mesic forests on the slopes of Hualālai at elevations of 915–1,020 m (3,002–3,346 ft). Associated plants include ʻōhiʻa lehua ( Metrosideros polymorpha ), lama ( Diospyros sandwicensis ), māmane ( Sophora chrysophylla ), naio ( Myoporum sandwicense ), ʻālaʻa ( Planchonella sandwicensis ), pāpala ( Charpentiera spp.), ʻaiea ( Nothocestrum spp.), poʻolā ( Claoxylon sandwicense ), and Kikuyu grass ( Pennisetum clandestinum ).
The last known plant died in 1992, making it most likely extinct in the wild; any remaining plants are threatened by habitat loss. However, individuals have been breed in captivity and replanted in nature reserves of the Big Island.
Located about 2,300 miles (3,680 km) from the nearest continental shore, the Hawaiian Islands are the most isolated group of islands on the planet. The plant and animal life of the Hawaiian archipelago is the result of early, very infrequent colonizations of arriving species and the slow evolution of those species—in isolation from the rest of the world's flora and fauna—over a period of at least 5 million years. As a consequence, Hawai'i is home to a large number of endemic species. The radiation of species described by Charles Darwin in the Galapagos Islands which was critical to the formulation of his theory of evolution is far exceeded in the more isolated Hawaiian Islands.
The Hawaiian tropical rainforests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Hawaiian Islands. They cover an area of 6,700 km2 (2,600 sq mi) in the windward lowlands and montane regions of the islands. Coastal mesic forests are found at elevations from sea level to 300 m (980 ft). Mixed mesic forests occur at elevations of 750 to 1,250 m, while wet forests are found from 1,250 to 1,700 m. Moist bogs and shrublands exist on montane plateaus and depressions. For the 28 million years of existence of the Hawaiian Islands, they have been isolated from the rest of the world by vast stretches of the Pacific Ocean, and this isolation has resulted in the evolution of an incredible diversity of endemic species, including fungi, mosses, snails, birds, and other wildlife. In the lush, moist forests high in the mountains, trees are draped with vines, orchids, ferns, and mosses. This ecoregion includes one of the world's wettest places, the slopes of Mount Waiʻaleʻale, which average 373 in (9,500 mm) of rainfall per year.
Hibiscadelphus distans is an extremely rare species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that is endemic to the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaii. It is known as hau kuahiwi in Hawaiian, which means "upland Hibiscus tiliaceus." It is a bush or small tree with heart-shaped leaves and yellow flowers and grows at between 1,000 and 1,800 feet in the remnants of native dry forests. Despite its rarity, it is believed to be the only surviving species in the genus Hibiscadelphus which is only known from Hawaii, the other five species having recently become extinct in the wild, some being known from only a single plant.
Argyroxiphium sandwicense, the Hawaiʻi silversword, or hinahina is a species of silversword. It is endemic to Hawaii. The two subspecies are separated by geography. Both subspecies are rare, threatened and federally protected.
Mezoneuron kauaiense is a rare shrub or small tree in the genus Mezoneuron, that is endemic to Hawaii. Common names include uhiuhi, kāwaʻu (Maui), and kea (Maui). It is threatened by invasive species, particularly feral ungulates.
Abutilon sandwicense, commonly known as the greenflower Indian mallow, is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that is endemic to the island of Oʻahu, Hawaii, in the United States. It inhabits dry forests on the slopes of the Waiʻanae Range at elevations of 400–600 m (1,300–2,000 ft). Associated plants include lama, ēlama, māmaki, kalia, āulu, olopua, and alaheʻe. Greenflower Indian mallow is a shrub, reaching a height of 1.5–3 m (4.9–9.8 ft). It is threatened by habitat loss.
Hibiscadelphus crucibracteatus is an extinct species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae that was endemic to Hawaii, on the island of Lanai.
Hibiscadelphus giffardianus is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family Malvaceae that is endemic to the Big Island of Hawaii.
Hibiscadelphus woodii, or Wood's hau kuahiwi, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae endemic to Kauai, Hawaii.
Kokia drynarioides, commonly known as Hawaiian tree cotton, is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that is endemic to the Big Island of Hawaii. It inhabits dry forests at elevations of 455–1,915 m (1,493–6,283 ft). Associated plants include ʻāheahea, ʻaʻaliʻi, hala pepe, wiliwili, uhiuhi, kōlea, ʻaiea, kuluʻī, ʻālaʻa, ʻohe kukuluāeʻo, māmane, and maua. It is threatened by habitat loss and competition with invasive species, such as fountain grass.
Kokia kauaiensis, the Kauai treecotton or Kauaʻi Kokiʻo, is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that is endemic to Kauaʻi, Hawaii.
Dubautia arborea, the tree dubautia or Mauna Kea dubautia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. A member of the silversword alliance, it is endemic to the island of Hawaiʻi. It is a shrub or small tree. It is an endangered species that is threatened by feral grazing animals.
Euphorbia haeleeleana, the Kauaʻi spurge, is a species of flowering plant in the croton family, Euphorbiaceae, that is endemic to the islands of Kauaʻi and Oaʻhu in Hawaii. Like other Hawaiian spurges it is known as `akoko.
Nothocestrum breviflorum, commonly known as smallflower ʻaiea, is a species of tree in the nightshade family, Solanaceae, that is endemic to the island of Hawaiʻi. It inhabits dry and mixed mesic forests at elevations of 180–1,830 m (590–6,000 ft). These forests are dominated by ʻōhiʻa lehua and koa or lama, while plants associated with smallflower ʻaiea include wiliwili and uhiuhi. N. breviflorum reaches a height of 10–12 m (33–39 ft). It is threatened by habitat loss. It is federally listed as an endangered species of the United States. There are fewer than 50 individuals remaining.
Dracaena konaensis, synonym Pleomele hawaiiensis, the Hawaiʻi hala pepe, is a rare species of flowering plant that is endemic to the island of Hawaiʻi in the state of Hawaii.
Polyscias sandwicensis, known as the 'ohe makai or ʻOhe kukuluāeʻo in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering plant in the family Araliaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It is a tree, reaching a height of 4.6–15 m (15–49 ft) high with a trunk diameter of 0.5–0.6 m (1.6–2.0 ft). It can be found at elevations of 30–800 m (98–2,625 ft) on most main islands. Polyscias sandwicensis generally inhabits lowland dry forests, but is occasionally seen in coastal mesic and mixed mesic forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Urera kaalae, opuhe, is a species of flowering plant in the nettle family, Urticaceae, that is endemic to the island of Oʻahu in Hawaii. It inhabits slopes and gulches in mesic forests at elevations of 300–760 m (980–2,490 ft). Currently it is restricted to the southern and central parts of the Waiʻanae Mountains. Associated plants include maile, hame, Asplenium kaulfusii, Athyrium spp., ʻāwikiwiki, pāpala, ʻakoko, poʻolā, ēlama, Doryopteris spp., ʻieʻi.e., manono, Hibiscus spp., olopua, māmaki, hala pepe, ʻālaʻa, kōpiko, heuhiuhi, aʻiaʻi, ōpuhe, and maua. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Colubrina oppositifolia, known as kauila in Hawaiian, is a rare species of flowering tree in the family Rhamnaceae endemic to Hawaii.
Poa mannii is a rare species of grass known by the common names Mann's bluegrass and Olokele Gulch bluegrass. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is limited to the island of Kauai. It is threatened by the loss and modification of its habitat. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.
Schiedea attenuata is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common name Kalalau schiedea. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known only from the Kalalau Valley on the island of Kauai. It is threatened by the degradation of its habitat. It was federally listed as an endangered species of the United States in 2010.
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