Schiedea kealiae
Encyclopedia
Schiedea kealiae is a rare species of flowering plant in the pink family
known by the common name Waianae Range schiedea. It is endemic to Hawaii
, where it is known only from the Waianae Range
on the island of Oahu
. 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 subshrub
with woody-based, hairless branches up to half a meter long. The oppositely arranged leaves have narrow, dark green blades up to 8 centimeters long by 1.1 wide. The inflorescence
is a branching cluster of flowers with small green sepal
s and no petals.
This plant is now limited to three populations containing 300 to 500 individuals in the Waianae Mountains of Oahu. The populations are threatened by the invasion of introduced species
of plants into its habitat.
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 name Waianae Range 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 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
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 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 subshrub
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...
with woody-based, hairless branches up to half a meter long. The oppositely arranged leaves have narrow, dark green blades up to 8 centimeters long by 1.1 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 branching cluster of flowers with small green 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 three populations containing 300 to 500 individuals in the Waianae Mountains of Oahu. The populations are threatened by the invasion 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 into its habitat.