Nihoa Carnation
Encyclopedia
Schiedea verticillata, known as the Nihoa Carnation, is an endangered species
of carnation
, endemic to the island of Nihoa
in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
, where it was discovered in 1923 by the Tanager Expedition
. It has been listed as endangered since 1996.
It has stems 40–60 cm (15.7–23.6 in) long, erect or sometimes trailing, and fleshy mint-colored leaves as long as 15 cm. The flowers are petal-less, have ten stamen
s and 4-5 styles. The plant estivates
, dying back to the fleshy perennial
roots during the dry season
. Less than 400 individual plants survive in two of Nihoa's rocky valleys, but the population has remained stable. How this plant is pollinated
is not known. Even though there are very few individuals surviving, the carnation can avoid inbreeding, a problem that threatens fellow Nihoan plant Amaranthus brownii
, because this carnation has the highest genetic diversity
of its genus.
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 carnation
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...
, endemic to the island of Nihoa
Nihoa
Nihoa , also known as Bird Island or Moku Manu, is the largest and tallest of ten islands and atolls in the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands . The island is located at the southern end of the NWHI chain, southeast of Necker Island...
in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands or the Leeward Islands are the small islands and atolls in the Hawaiian island chain located northwest of the islands of Kauai and Niihau. They are administered by the U.S. state of Hawaii except Midway Atoll, which has temporary residential facilities and is...
, where it was discovered in 1923 by the Tanager Expedition
Tanager Expedition
The Tanager Expedition was a series of five biological surveys of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands conducted in partnership between the Bureau of Biological Survey and the Bishop Museum, with the assistance of the U.S. Navy. Four expeditions occurred from April to August 1923, and a fifth in July...
. It has been listed as endangered since 1996.
It has stems 40–60 cm (15.7–23.6 in) long, erect or sometimes trailing, and fleshy mint-colored leaves as long as 15 cm. The flowers are petal-less, have ten stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s and 4-5 styles. The plant estivates
Estivation
Aestivation is a state of animal dormancy, characterized by inactivity and a lowered metabolic rate, that is entered in response to high temperatures and arid conditions...
, dying back to the fleshy perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
roots during the dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
. Less than 400 individual plants survive in two of Nihoa's rocky valleys, but the population has remained stable. How this plant is pollinated
Pollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
is not known. Even though there are very few individuals surviving, the carnation can avoid inbreeding, a problem that threatens fellow Nihoan plant Amaranthus brownii
Amaranthus brownii
Amaranthus brownii is an annual herb in the Amaranthaceae family. The plant is found only on the small island of Nihoa in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, growing on rocky outcrops at altitudes of . It is one of nine species of Amaranthus in the Hawaiian Islands, but the only endemic Hawaiian...
, because this carnation has the highest genetic diversity
Genetic diversity
Genetic diversity, the level of biodiversity, refers to the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. It is distinguished from genetic variability, which describes the tendency of genetic characteristics to vary....
of its genus.
External links
- Schiedea verticillata F.Br.. Hawaii Biological Survey. Bishop MuseumBishop MuseumThe Bishop Museum , is a museum of history and science in the historic Kalihi district of Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu...
. Retrieved May 20, 2011.