Geranium kauaiense

Geranium kauaiense

Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Geraniales
Family: Geraniaceae
Genus: Geranium
Species: G. kauaiense
Binomial name
Geranium kauaiense
(Rock) H.St.John

Geranium kauaiense is a rare species of geranium known by the common name Kauai geranium. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known only from the island of Kauai.[1] It was federally listed as an endangered species in 2010.[2] Like other Hawaiian geraniums, this plant is known as hinahina and nohoanu.[3]

This plant is a subshrub with stems up to a meter long. The inflorescence is a cyme of 3 or 4 flowers with purple-striped white petals.[1]

This plant grows in the wet forests and bogs of Alakai Wilderness Preserve on Kauai, where there are about 140 plants remaining.[2] There are also three plants at the summit of Mount Waialeale, one of the rainiest spots on earth.[2]

The main threat to this species is the degradation of its habitat feral pigs, which may also feed on the plant. Fences have been erected around patches of bog habitat to protect it from the pigs. Non-native species of plants also have invaded the habitat, including Juncus planifolius and Andropogon virginicus.[1]

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.