Cyrtandra paliku
Encyclopedia
Cyrtandra paliku is a rare species of flowering plant in the African violet family
known by the common name cliffside cyrtandra. It is endemic to Hawaii
, where it is known only from the island of Kauai
. The plant was first discovered in 1993 and it was described to science as a new species in 2001. At the time it was discovered there was only one population containing 70 individuals; a 2006 count revealed only ten plants remaining. It was federally listed as an endangered species
in 2010. Like other Hawaiian Cyrtandra it is called ha`iwale.
This plant grows only on Mount Namahana in the Makaleha Mountains
on the island of Kauai. This rare plant is apparently limited to a specific type of habitat
: wind
y, mist
y, north-facing basalt
cliffs wet with seeping water. It is possible that it went unidentified as a new species for so long because researchers must climb steep rock cliffs to examine it. It grows alongside Selaginella arbuscula in the understory
of Metrosideros polymorpha
and Dicranopteris linearis
. The plant can be differentiated from other Cyrtandra in part by its shaggy coat of reddish brown hairs.
Gesneriaceae
Gesneriaceae is a family of flowering plants consisting of ca. 150 genera and ca. 3,200 species in the Old World and New World tropics and subtropics, with a very small number extending to temperate areas. Many species have colorful and showy flowers and are cultivated as ornamental plants.Most...
known by the common name cliffside cyrtandra. It is endemic to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, where it is known only from the island of Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
. The plant was first discovered in 1993 and it was described to science as a new species in 2001. At the time it was discovered there was only one population containing 70 individuals; a 2006 count revealed only ten plants remaining. It was federally listed as an 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...
in 2010. Like other Hawaiian Cyrtandra it is called ha`iwale.
This plant grows only on Mount Namahana in the Makaleha Mountains
Makaleha Mountains
The Makaleha Mountains are a mountain range in Kauai County on the eastern side of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The highest point is 3,071 feet above sea level.-External links:* *...
on the island of Kauai. This rare plant is apparently limited to a specific type of habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
: wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
y, mist
Mist
Mist is a phenomenon of small droplets suspended in air. It can occur as part of natural weather or volcanic activity, and is common in cold air above warmer water, in exhaled air in the cold, and in a steam room of a sauna. It can also be created artificially with aerosol canisters if the...
y, north-facing basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
cliffs wet with seeping water. It is possible that it went unidentified as a new species for so long because researchers must climb steep rock cliffs to examine it. It grows alongside Selaginella arbuscula in the understory
Understory
Understory is the term for the area of a forest which grows at the lowest height level below the forest canopy. Plants in the understory consist of a mixture of seedlings and saplings of canopy trees together with understory shrubs and herbs...
of Metrosideros polymorpha
Metrosideros polymorpha
The ōhia lehua is a species of flowering evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that is endemic to the six largest islands of Hawaii. It is a highly variable tree, being tall in favorable situations, and much smaller when growing in boggy soils or on basalt...
and Dicranopteris linearis
Dicranopteris linearis
Dicranopteris linearis is a common species of fern known by many common names, including Old World forked fern and uluhe . It is one of the most widely distributed ferns of the wet Old World tropics and adjacent regions, including Polynesia and the Pacific...
. The plant can be differentiated from other Cyrtandra in part by its shaggy coat of reddish brown hairs.