Argyroxiphium sandwicense
Encyclopedia
The plant species Argyroxiphium sandwicense is a kind of silversword. It is endemic to Hawaii
. There are two subspecies which are separated by geography. Both subspecies are rare, threatened, and federally protected.
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...
. There are two subspecies which are separated by geography. Both subspecies are rare, threatened, and federally protected.
- Haleakala silverswordHaleakala SilverswordThe Haleakalā silversword is a rare plant, part of the family Asteraceae. The silversword in general is referred to as āhinahina in Hawaiian...
(A. sandwicense subsp. macrocephalum) is found on the mountain Haleakalā on the island of MauiMauiThe 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,...
at elevations above 2,100 meters. It is a federally listed threatened speciesEndangered speciesAn 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...
.
- Mauna Kea silverswordMauna Kea silverswordThe Mauna Kea silversword is a highly endangered flowering plant endemic to the Big Island of Hawaii. It is the "crown jewel" of the volcanic mountain, Mauna Kea, from which it derives its common name, and where it was once common. Extraordinary plant conservation efforts are being made to...
(A. sandwicense subsp. sandwicense) is found on the mountain Mauna KeaMauna KeaMauna Kea is a volcano on the island of Hawaii. Standing above sea level, its peak is the highest point in the state of Hawaii. However, much of the mountain is under water; when measured from its oceanic base, Mauna Kea is over tall—significantly taller than Mount Everest...
on the Big IslandHawaii (island)The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
at elevations above 2,600 meters. This is a federally listed endangered speciesEndangered speciesAn 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...
. There may be only 40 individuals left.