Viola is a genus of flowering plants in the violet family Violaceae. It is the largest genus in the family, containing over 680 species. Most species are found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere; however, some are also found in widely divergent areas such as Hawaii, Australasia, and the Andes.
Located about 2300 miles (3680 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 ʻāmaui or Oahu thrush was a subspecies of the olomaʻo endemic to the island of Oahu. It was the first member of its genus to become extinct, c. 1850. Some taxonomic authorities consider it a distinct species, but the International Ornithological Congress presently classifies it as a subspecies of M. lanaiensis.
Viola sororia, known commonly as the common blue violet, is a short-stemmed herbaceous perennial plant native to eastern North America. It is known by a number of common names, including common meadow violet, purple violet, woolly blue violet, hooded violet, and wood violet.
The olomaʻo is a small, dark solitaire endemic to Maui, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi in the Hawaiian Islands. It is listed as Critically Endangered.
Santalum haleakalae, known as Haleakala sandalwood or ʻIliahi in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering tree in the sandalwood family, that is endemic to the islands of Maui, Lanai, and Molokai in the Hawaiian Islands, part of the United States. It grows in subalpine shrublands at elevations of 1,900 to 2,700 m, especially on the slopes of Haleakalā.
Myoporum sandwicense, commonly known as naio, bastard sandalwood or false sandalwood is a species of flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae. It is a tree or shrub highly variable in its form, the size and shape of its leaves, in the number of flowers in a group and in the shape of its fruit. It is endemic to Hawaiʻi.
Gahnia is a genus of sedges native to China, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and a number of Pacific Islands. The common name is due to the toothed margins. It often forms tussocks.
Viola reichenbachiana, also known as the early dog-violet, pale wood violet, slender wood violet, hedge violet, or wood dog violet, is a species of flowering plant in the Viola genus. This species hybridises with Viola riviniana, the common dog-violet, to produce Viola × bavarica. The plant is named after the 19th century botanist Ludwig Reichenbach. It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial that is widely known for its purple petals, and it typically resides along road banks or among other rich vegetation, as other wild pansies do. The name dog violet refers to its lack of scent, making it supposedly only fit for dogs.
Cyrtandra munroi is a rare species of flowering plant in the African violet family known by the common names Lanaihale cyrtandra and Munro's cyrtandra. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known from the islands of Lanai and Maui. There are fewer than 50 individuals remaining in the wild. It is a shrub with hairy leaves and white flowers. It was federally listed as an endangered species in 1992. Like other Hawaiian Cyrtandra it is called ha`iwale.
Isodendrion longifolium is a rare species of flowering plant in the violet family known by the common names longleaf isodendrion and aupaka. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known from fewer than 1000 individuals on the islands of Kauai and Oahu. It is a federally listed threatened species of the United States.
Cyperus fauriei is a rare species of sedge known by the common name alpine flatsedge. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it grows on the islands of Molokai and Hawaii. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.
Melicope munroi is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae known by the common names lanahale and Munro's pelea. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known only from the island of Lanai. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States. Like other Hawaiian Melicope, this species is known as alani.
Phyllostegia glabra is a species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common name smooth phyllostegia. It is endemic to Hawaii.
Tetramolopium lepidotum is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name Waianae Range tetramolopium. It is endemic to Hawaii, where today it is known only from the Waianae Mountains on the island of Oahu. It is threatened by habitat degradation caused by feral goats and pigs and introduced species of plants.
Tetramolopium remyi is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names Awalua Ridge tetramolopium and Remy's tetramolopium. It is endemic to Hawaii, where today it is known only from the island of Lanai. It is believed to be extirpated on the island of Maui, having not been observed there since 1944. It is threatened by habitat degradation caused by deer, Mouflon, and introduced species of plants. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.
Viola chamissoniana is a species of flowering plant in the violet family known by the common name 'olopu. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known from the islands of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui.
Viola helena, commonly known as Wahiawa stream violet, is a rare species of flowering plant in the violet family. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known only from the Wahiawa Mountains of Kauai. It is threatened by exotic plant species and feral pigs. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.
Viola oahuensis is a rare species of flowering plant in the violet family known by the common name Oahu violet.
Viola renifolia is a species of violet known by the common names white violet and kidneyleaf violet. It is native to northern North America, where it has a widespread distribution across Canada and the northern United States as far south as Washington, Colorado, and New York.
