Kauai nehe facts for kids

Melanthera micrantha, also known as Kauai nehe, is a very rare flowering plant. It belongs to the aster family, which includes many plants like daisies and sunflowers. This special plant is only found on the island of Kauai in Hawaii.

Quick facts for kids Kauai nehe
Melanthera micrantha subsp micrantha (cultivated)
Conservation status
Critically Imperiled (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Subfamily:	Asteroideae
Tribe:	Heliantheae
Genus:	Melanthera
Species:	M. micrantha
Binomial name
Melanthera micrantha (Nutt.) W.L.Wagner & H.Rob.
Synonyms
Lipochaeta micrantha - (Nutt.) A. Gray

Where Kauai Nehe Lives

This plant is endemic to Hawaii. This means it naturally grows only in Hawaii. Specifically, it is found only on the island of Kauai.

You can find Kauai nehe growing on hillsides and in valleys. It prefers to live in forested areas. There are only about seven small groups of these plants left. In total, there are fewer than 1,100 individual plants remaining.

What Kauai Nehe Looks Like

Melanthera micrantha is a plant that spreads out. It is a perennial herb, meaning it lives for more than two years. It has thin stems that trail along the ground.

Its leaves look a bit like ferns. They are made up of several smaller leaflets. The plant produces yellow flower heads that look like small daisies. These flowers grow on long stems. Each flower head is less than 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) across.

Types of Kauai Nehe

There are two main types, or subspecies, of Melanthera micrantha:

• Melanthera micrantha subsp. exigua
• Melanthera micrantha ssp. micrantha

Protecting Kauai Nehe

The United States government has listed Melanthera micrantha as an endangered species. This means it is at high risk of disappearing forever.

The biggest problems for this plant are changes to its home. Wild animals like pigs and goats, called feral ungulates, damage the areas where it grows. Also, plants from other places, known as non-native plants, grow quickly. They take over the space and resources that Kauai nehe needs to survive.

Stem with compound pedate leaves.

Close up of flower.

Foliage texture.