Isodendrion pyrifolium
Encyclopedia
Isodendrion pyrifolium is a rare species of flowering plant in the violet family
known by the common name wahine noho kula. It is endemic to Hawaii
, where it is known only from the island of Hawaii
. It is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States.
This is a shrub
growing 0.8 to 2 meters tall and bearing greenish yellow flowers.
This shrub is thought to have occurred on at least 6 of the Hawaiian Islands. It was not seen after 1870 and was believed extinct
until 1991, when it was rediscovered on Hawaii. There was a population of about 60 plants near Kailua. By 2007 most of these had died, leaving only three wild specimens in existence. These are located in degraded dry forest habitat in an area undergoing development. A few more individuals have been planted in appropriate habitat nearby.
The plants' habitat is threatened by development, and non-native plant species
such as fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum), which increases the risk of fire in the area.
Violaceae
Violaceae are a family of flowering plants consisting of about 800 species in 21 genera. It takes its name from the genus Viola, the violets and pansies.Older classifications such as the Cronquist system placed Violaceae in an order named after it, the Violales...
known by the common name wahine noho kula. 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 Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
. 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 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 0.8 to 2 meters tall and bearing greenish yellow flowers.
This shrub is thought to have occurred on at least 6 of the Hawaiian Islands. It was not seen after 1870 and was believed extinct
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
until 1991, when it was rediscovered on Hawaii. There was a population of about 60 plants near Kailua. By 2007 most of these had died, leaving only three wild specimens in existence. These are located in degraded dry forest habitat in an area undergoing development. A few more individuals have been planted in appropriate habitat nearby.
The plants' habitat is threatened by development, and non-native plant 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...
such as fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum), which increases the risk of fire in the area.