Kauaʻi, anglicized as Kauai, is one of the main Hawaiian Islands.
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.
Waimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, is a large canyon, approximately ten miles (16 km) long and up to 3,000 feet deep, located on the western side of Kauaʻi in the Hawaiian Islands of the United States. Waimea is Hawaiian for "reddish water", a reference to the erosion of the canyon's red soil. The canyon was formed by a deep incision of the Waimea River arising from the extreme rainfall on the island's central peak, Mount Waiʻaleʻale, among the wettest places on earth.
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.
The Kauaʻi ʻamakihi is a species of Hawaiian honeycreepers endemic to Kauaʻi in the family Fringillidae. The species Hawaiian name is associated with is Kihikihi, or kihi, which stems from the word amakihi. Kihikihi, meaning curved, makes a reference to the bill of the Kauaʻi ʻamakihi. The Kauaʻi ʻamakihi has similar physical features to an extinct species, the Kauaʻi nukupuʻu. When flying or feeding, the Kaua’i ‘amakihi lets out a distinguishing tweet.
The ʻanianiau is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper that is endemic to upper elevation forests on the island of Kauai.
The ʻakekeʻe or Kaua'i 'akepa is a bird species in the family Fringillidae, where it is placed in the Hawaiian honeycreeper genus Loxops. It is endemic to the island of Kauaʻi where it is found in small numbers in higher elevations. Because of their similar size, shape, and unusual bill, the ʻakekeʻe and the ʻakepa were for some time classified as a single species. This was eventually changed, because of differences in their color, nesting behavior, and calls. The 'akeke'e is extremely threatened and is predicted to face imminent extinction if mosquito control efforts on Kaua'i are not implemented.
Hibiscadelphus woodii, or Wood's hau kuahiwi, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae endemic to Kauai, Hawaii.
Melicope knudsenii, commonly known as Olokele Valley melicope or Knudsen's melicope, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It inhabits montane mesic forests dominated by Acacia koa, Metrosideros polymorpha, and Dicranopteris linearis on Kauaʻi and East Maui (Auwahi). Associated plants include Syzygium sandwicensis, Cheirodendron trigynum, Myrsine lessertiana, Ilex anomala, Alphitonia ponderosa, Zanthoxylum dipetalum, Kadua terminalis, Pleomele aurea, Bobea spp., Tetraplasandra waimeae, Xylosma hawaiensis, Eurya sandwicensis, Psychotria mariniana, Melicope anisata, Melicope barbigera, Planchonella sandwicensis, Dodonaea viscosa, and Dianella sandwicensis. It is threatened by habitat loss. Like other Hawaiian Melicope, this species is known as alani. This is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.
Lipochaeta, common name nehe, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae that is endemic to Hawaii.
Melanthera, is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to the tropical and subtropical Americas.
Cyanea eleeleensis was a rare species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common name Eleele cyanea. It was endemic to Kauai, where it has been declared extinct. It was federally listed as a critically endangered species of the United States in 2010. Like other Cyanea it is known as haha in Hawaiian.
Dubautia latifolia is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name koholapehu. It is endemic to Hawaii where it is known only from the west side of the island of Kauai. Like other Dubautia this plant is called na`ena`e.
Lipochaeta fauriei known by the common name Olokele Canyon nehe, is a rare species of flowering plant in the aster family.
Lipochaeta micrantha, known by the common name Kauai nehe, is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.
Lipochaeta tenuifolia is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names Waianae Range nehe and slender-leaf nehe.
Lipochaeta venosa is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name spreading nehe. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known only from the island of Hawaii. It is federally listed as an endangered species of the United States.
Peucedanum sandwicense is a rare species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name makou. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known from Maui, Molokai, Kauai, and Oahu. It is threatened by introduced species of plants and animals. It is a federally listed threatened species of the United States.
Phyllostegia waimeae is a rare species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common name Kauai phyllostegia. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is limited to the island of Kauai. 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.
