Kalalau schiedea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kalalau schiedea |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Schiedea
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| Species: |
attenuata
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Schiedea attenuata, also known as the Kalalau schiedea, is a very rare flowering plant. It belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family, which includes many types of pinks and carnations. This special plant grows only in Hawaii, specifically in the Kalalau Valley on the island of Kauai. It is an endangered species, meaning it is at high risk of disappearing forever. The United States government officially listed it as endangered in 2010.
Contents
About the Kalalau Schiedea
What Does It Look Like?
This plant is a shrub, which is like a small bush. It can grow up to about 75 centimeters (about 2.5 feet) tall. Its stems and leaves are covered in tiny, curved, purplish hairs. The leaves grow in pairs opposite each other on the stem. They are thick and a bit fleshy. Each leaf is long and narrow, up to 7 centimeters (about 2.7 inches) long and less than a centimeter wide.
The plant produces groups of up to 55 flowers. These flowers grow in an open cluster called a cyme. Each flower has small, green, lance-shaped sepals. Sepals are like small leaves that protect the flower bud. Interestingly, this plant's flowers do not have any petals.
Where Does It Live?
The Kalalau schiedea grows in a very specific place. It lives on extremely steep basalt cliffs. These cliffs are found on the slopes of the Kalalau Valley on Kauai. This plant shares its home with many other native Hawaiian plants. Some of these include Gouania meyenii, Peucedanum sandwicense, Poa mannii, Hedyotis species, Lysimachia glutinosa, Melicope pallida, Dubautia species, Dryopteris unidentata, Metrosideros polymorpha, Coprosma species, Vaccinium species, Lipochaeta species, Wilkesia species, Lobelia niihauensis, Lepidium serra, Nestegis sandwicensis, and Hibiscus kokio.
When scientists first described this plant in 1994, they found only 20 individual plants. By 2007, no new plants had been discovered. This shows how incredibly rare the Kalalau schiedea is.
Why Is It Endangered?
The Kalalau schiedea faces several big threats that make it an endangered species.
Threats from Animals
One major problem is the population of feral goats. These are goats that have escaped from farms and now live wild. They eat the plants, which can destroy the small number of Kalalau schiedea plants that exist.
Threats from Other Plants
Another threat comes from non-native plants. These are plants that were brought to Hawaii from other places. They grow very fast and can take over the habitat. This leaves less space, sunlight, and nutrients for the native Kalalau schiedea to grow.
Threats from Nature
Because there are so few Kalalau schiedea plants, any major natural event could cause them to disappear completely. For example, a strong hurricane could wipe out the entire population. This makes protecting every single plant very important.
