Euphorbia kuwaleana
Euphorbia kuwaleana | |
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herbarium specimen | |
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]
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