Schiedea hookeri
Encyclopedia
Schiedea hookeri is a rare species of flowering plant in the pink family
known by the common names Hooker's schiedea and sprawling schiedea. It is endemic to Hawaii
, where it is known only from the island of Oahu
. It is thought to have been extirpated
from Haleakalā
on Maui
. It is threatened by the degradation and destruction of its habitat. It was federally listed as an endangered species
of the United States in 1996.
This plant is a shrub
growing 30 to 50 centimeters long, taking a creeping, sprawling form or a more clumpy form. The oppositely arranged leaves have thin blades up to 8 centimeters long by 1.5 wide. The inflorescence
is a hairy, sticky cluster of flowers with small green or purple sepal
s and no petals.
This plant is now limited to the Waianae Range
on the island of Oahu. There are about 11 populations totalling no more than about 330 individuals. The habitat is dry to moist forest. It is threatened by damage to the habitat by feral goat
s and pigs and by the invasion
of introduced species
of plants.
Caryophyllaceae
The Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranthaceae, Cactaceae and Polygonaceae...
known by the common names Hooker's schiedea and sprawling schiedea. 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 Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
. It is thought to have been extirpated
Local extinction
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, is the condition of a species which ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere...
from Haleakalā
Haleakala
Haleakalā , or the East Maui Volcano, is a massive shield volcano that forms more than 75% of the Hawaiian Island of Maui. The western 25% of the island is formed by the West Maui Mountains.- History :...
on Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
. It is threatened by the degradation and destruction of its habitat. 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...
of the United States in 1996.
This plant is a shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
growing 30 to 50 centimeters long, taking a creeping, sprawling form or a more clumpy form. The oppositely arranged leaves have thin blades up to 8 centimeters long by 1.5 wide. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a hairy, sticky cluster of flowers with small green or purple sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s and no petals.
This plant is now limited to the Waianae Range
Waianae Range
Waianae Range is the eroded remains of an ancient shield volcano that comprises the western half of the Hawaiian Island of Oahu...
on the island of Oahu. There are about 11 populations totalling no more than about 330 individuals. The habitat is dry to moist forest. It is threatened by damage to the habitat by feral goat
Feral goat
The feral goat is the domestic goat when it has become established in the wild. Feral goats occur in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Great Britain, Hawaii, the Galapagos and in many other parts of the world...
s and pigs and by the invasion
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
of introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
of plants.