Hawaiian tree cotton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hawaiian tree cotton |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Kokia
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| Species: |
drynarioides
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Kokia drynarioides, also known as Hawaiian tree cotton, is a special type of flowering plant. It belongs to the mallow family, called Malvaceae. This plant is found only in one place in the world: the Big Island of Hawaii. This means it is an endemic species.
Contents
What is Hawaiian Tree Cotton?
Hawaiian tree cotton is a unique plant that grows as a tree. It is part of the same plant family as regular cotton, but it's a wild Hawaiian version. The plant was first described in 1912.
Where Does Hawaiian Tree Cotton Live?
This tree lives in dry forests on the Big Island of Hawaii. It grows at elevations from about 455 to 1915 meters (about 1,490 to 6,280 feet) above sea level.
Friends in the Forest: Other Plants Around It
Hawaiian tree cotton shares its home with many other native Hawaiian plants. Some of its plant neighbors include:
- ʻāheahea (Chenopodium oahuense)
- ʻaʻaliʻi (Dodonaea viscosa)
- hala pepe (Pleomele hawaiiensis)
- wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis)
- uhiuhi (Caesalpinia kavaiensis)
- kōlea (Myrsine lanaiensis)
- ʻaiea (Nothocestrum latifolium)
- kuluʻī (Nototrichium sandwicense)
- ʻālaʻa (Pouteria sandwicensis)
- ʻohe kukuluāeʻo (Reynoldsia sandwicensis)
- māmane (Sophora chrysophylla)
- maua (Xylosma hawaiiense var. hillebrandii)
Why is Hawaiian Tree Cotton in Danger?
Sadly, Hawaiian tree cotton is a critically endangered species. This means it is at a very high risk of disappearing forever.
Threats to Its Survival
The main reasons this plant is in danger are:
- Habitat loss: The places where it naturally grows are being destroyed or changed. This can happen because of human activities or other environmental changes.
- Competition from invasive species: Some plants that are not native to Hawaii have been brought there. These "invasive" plants, like Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum), grow very fast and take over the space and resources that native plants like Hawaiian tree cotton need to survive. This makes it hard for the native plants to thrive.
Conservation efforts are important to protect this rare and beautiful Hawaiian plant.
