Argyroxiphium kauense
Encyclopedia
The Mauna Loa silversword (Argyroxiphium kauense, also commonly known as Kaū silversword) is a rare species of flowering plant
in the Asteraceae
family. It is endemic to the eastern and southern slopes of Mauna Loa
on the island of Hawaii
. A. kauense occurs in a much broader range of habitats than the closely related and better-known Haleakalā silversword
(A. sandwicense macrocephalum), and is found in montane shrubland
, bogs, and open mesic forest.
Although threatened by damage from feral
pigs, goat
s, and mouflon sheep, most of the areas where it currently exists are now protected, and the species is actively managed by the National Park Service
and Hawaii State Department of Forestry and Wildlife. It is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States. There are three known occurrences remaining, for a total of fewer than 1000 individuals.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
family. It is endemic to the eastern and southern slopes of Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean, and the largest on Earth in terms of volume and area covered. It is an active shield volcano, with a volume estimated at approximately , although its peak is about lower than that...
on the island of Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
. A. kauense occurs in a much broader range of habitats than the closely related and better-known Haleakalā silversword
Haleakala Silversword
The Haleakalā silversword is a rare plant, part of the family Asteraceae. The silversword in general is referred to as āhinahina in Hawaiian...
(A. sandwicense macrocephalum), and is found in montane shrubland
Hawaiian tropical high shrublands
The Hawaiian tropical high shrublands are a tropical savanna ecoregion in the Hawaiian Islands. They cover an area of on the upper slopes of the volcanoes Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Hualālai, and Haleakalā. It includes open shrublands, grasslands, and deserts...
, bogs, and open mesic forest.
Although threatened by damage from feral
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
pigs, goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s, and mouflon sheep, most of the areas where it currently exists are now protected, and the species is actively managed by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
and Hawaii State Department of Forestry and Wildlife. It is a federally listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of the United States. There are three known occurrences remaining, for a total of fewer than 1000 individuals.