Cliff schiedea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cliff schiedea |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Schiedea
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| Species: |
sarmentosa
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Schiedea sarmentosa is a very rare flowering plant. It's also known as the cliff schiedea. This plant is special because it only grows in Hawaii. You can only find it on the island of Molokai. Sadly, it's in danger because its home is being damaged. The United States government lists it as an endangered species.
Contents
Discovering the Cliff Schiedea
What Does the Cliff Schiedea Look Like?
The cliff schiedea is a small subshrub. This means it's a plant that is partly woody. It has many branches. These branches can grow to be about 30 to 45 centimeters tall. That's about the length of a ruler!
Its leaves are very thin. They look like threads. Each leaf can be up to 4.5 centimeters long. The leaves grow in pairs on opposite sides of the branches.
This plant produces many groups of flowers. These groups are called inflorescences. The flowers have green sepals. Sepals are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. Interestingly, these flowers do not have any petals.
Where Does the Cliff Schiedea Live?
The cliff schiedea grows in forests. These forests can be dry or moist. Sometimes, you can find this plant growing right on the faces of cliffs. It likes these rocky places.
Other plants that live near the cliff schiedea include:
- Schiedea lydgatei (Lydgate's schiedea)
- Styphelia tameiameiae (pukiawe)
- Chenopodium oahuensis (’aheahea)
- Alyxia oliviformis (maile)
- Dracaena sp. (hala pepe)
- Chamaesyce sp. (’akoko)
How Many Cliff Schiedea Plants Are There?
There are only two groups of this plant left. In total, there are fewer than 1000 individual plants. This small number makes the cliff schiedea very rare. It is important to protect these plants.
