Silene perlmanii
Encyclopedia
Silene perlmanii is a rare species of flowering plant in the pink family
known by the common name cliff-face catchfly. It is endemic to Hawaii
, where it is known only from the southern Waianae Mountains of Oahu
. Today there are no plants left in the wild. The species is in cultivation at the National Tropical Botanical Garden
. It is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States.
This white-flowered subshrub
was first discovered in 1987. When it was placed on the Endangered Species List in 1991 there were 10 to 20 individuals known to exist, growing on cliff faces in the moist forests of the Waianae Mountains. By 1997 these were gone. The plant exists in cultivation, and several individuals have been outplanted in appropriate habitat. As of 2008 three of these have survived. They are protected inside fenced enclosures.
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 cliff-face catchfly. 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 southern Waianae Mountains 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...
. Today there are no plants left in the wild. The species is in cultivation at the National Tropical Botanical Garden
National Tropical Botanical Garden
The National Tropical Botanical Garden is a group that sponors preservation of plants native to the tropics in a network of botanical gardens and preserves.-History:...
. 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 white-flowered 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...
was first discovered in 1987. When it was placed on the Endangered Species List in 1991 there were 10 to 20 individuals known to exist, growing on cliff faces in the moist forests of the Waianae Mountains. By 1997 these were gone. The plant exists in cultivation, and several individuals have been outplanted in appropriate habitat. As of 2008 three of these have survived. They are protected inside fenced enclosures.