Phyllostegia knudsenii
Encyclopedia
Phyllostegia knudsenii is a rare species of flowering plant in the mint family
known by the common name Waimea phyllostegia and Knudsen's phyllostegia. It is endemic to Hawaii
, where it is known only from the island of Kauai
. It is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States.
This is a perennial herb or vine with limp leaves up to 18 centimeters long by 9 wide. The flowers are just under a centimeter long.
This plant was first collected in the 19th century and was not seen again until 1993, when a single plant was found. Three more were found later that year. Four additional plants were found in 1999 and five immature plants were located in 2001. There may be up to fifty plants remaining in unsurveyed areas.
Lamiaceae
The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...
known by the common name Waimea phyllostegia and Knudsen's phyllostegia. 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",...
. 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.
This is a perennial herb or vine with limp leaves up to 18 centimeters long by 9 wide. The flowers are just under a centimeter long.
This plant was first collected in the 19th century and was not seen again until 1993, when a single plant was found. Three more were found later that year. Four additional plants were found in 1999 and five immature plants were located in 2001. There may be up to fifty plants remaining in unsurveyed areas.