Euphorbia kuwaleana

Euphorbia kuwaleana
Euphorbia kuwaleana
herbarium specimen
Conservation status

Critically Imperiled (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Genus: Euphorbia
Species: E. kuwaleana
Binomial name
Euphorbia kuwaleana
O. Deg. & Sherff
Synonyms

Chamaesyce kuwaleana

Euphorbia kuwaleana (syn. Chamaesyce kuwaleana)[1] is a rare species of flowering plant in the euphorb family known by the common name kokomalei. It is endemic to Oahu, Hawaii, where it is known only from a four-kilometer stretch of the Waianae Range.[2] Like other Hawaiian euphorbs, this plant is known locally as `akoko. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

This is a shrub that grows on bare, exposed basalt cliffs. The stems grow to a maximum length approaching one meter and they contain a milky sap. The new stems are reddish in color and age to a waxy gray. The leaves are oval to heart-shaped, up to 2.5 centimeters long, and slightly hairy on the undersides. The inflorescence is a cyathium occurring singly in the leaf axils or at the tip of the stem.

There are about 2000 plants remaining.[2] They are threatened by non-native plants and fire.[2]

References

  1. ^ GRIN Species Profile
  2. ^ a b c The Nature Conservancy

External links

Stub icon This Euphorbia-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.