Euphorbia kuwaleana

Euphorbia kuwaleana
herbarium specimen

Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Genus: Euphorbia
Species: E. kuwaleana
Binomial name
Euphorbia kuwaleana
O. Deg. & Sherff
Synonyms

Chamaesyce kuwaleana

Euphorbia kuwaleana (syn. Chamaesyce kuwaleana)[1] is a rare species of flowering plant in the euphorb family known by the common name kokomalei. It is endemic to Oahu, Hawaii, where it is known only from a four-kilometer stretch of the Waianae Range.[2] Like other Hawaiian euphorbs, this plant is known locally as `akoko. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

This is a shrub that grows on bare, exposed basalt cliffs. The stems grow to a maximum length approaching one meter and they contain a milky sap. The new stems are reddish in color and age to a waxy gray. The leaves are oval to heart-shaped, up to 2.5 centimeters long, and slightly hairy on the undersides. The inflorescence is a cyathium occurring singly in the leaf axils or at the tip of the stem.

There are about 2000 plants remaining.[2] They are threatened by non-native plants and fire.[2]

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References

External links


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, September 03, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.