Schiedea membranacea
Encyclopedia
Schiedea membranacea is a rare species of flowering plant in the pink family
known by the common name papery schiedea and membranous schiedea. It is endemic to Hawaii
, where it is known only from the island of Kauai
. It is threatened by the degradation and destruction of its habitat. It is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States.
This plant is a perennial herb growing from a woody caudex
. The stem grows up to a meter long and has no branches.
This plant has declined recently. In 1996 there were six populations of the plant totalling at least 250 individuals. In 2010 there were five populations with fewer than 90 plants. The species grows in moist and wet forest habitat, often on steep cliffs.
Threats to the species include feral goat
s, feral pigs, introduced species
of plants, and garlic snails
(Oxychilus alliarius).
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 papery schiedea and membranous 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 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 threatened by the degradation and destruction of its habitat. 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 plant is a perennial herb growing from a woody caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
. The stem grows up to a meter long and has no branches.
This plant has declined recently. In 1996 there were six populations of the plant totalling at least 250 individuals. In 2010 there were five populations with fewer than 90 plants. The species grows in moist and wet forest habitat, often on steep cliffs.
Threats to the species include 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, feral pigs, 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, and garlic snails
Oxychilus alliarius
Oxychilus alliarius, common name the "garlic snail" or "garlic glass-snail", is a species of small air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Oxychilidae, the glass snails....
(Oxychilus alliarius).