Maui nehe facts for kids
Melanthera kamolensis, also known as Maui nehe, is a very rare flowering plant. It belongs to the aster family, which includes plants like sunflowers and daisies. This special plant grows only on the island of Mauʻi in Hawaiʻi.
Quick facts for kids Maui nehe |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Subfamily: |
Asteroideae
|
| Tribe: | |
| Genus: |
Melanthera
|
| Species: |
M. kamolensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Melanthera kamolensis (O. Deg.) & Sherff) W.L. Wagner & H. Rob.
|
|
Where Maui Nehe Lives
This plant is endemic to Hawaiʻi. This means it naturally grows only in Hawaiʻi and nowhere else in the world. Specifically, you can find it only on the island of Mauʻi.
Maui nehe grows on hillsides and in valleys. It prefers a small area of shrubland on the southern side of East Mauʻi island. One group of these plants lives in Kamole Gulch. In 2005, there were only 25 adult plants in this spot.
Close by, there is another group of plants. These seem to be a mix of Melanthera kamolensis and another plant called Melanthera rockii. This mix happens when two different plant types cross-breed.
What Maui Nehe Looks Like
Melanthera kamolensis is a plant that spreads out along the ground. It is a perennial herb, which means it lives for more than two years and does not have a woody stem like a tree.
It produces yellow flower heads that look a lot like daisies.
Protecting Maui Nehe
Melanthera kamolensis is listed as an endangered species in the United States. This means it is at a very high risk of disappearing forever.
The biggest problems for this plant are things that harm its home. These include animals like ungulates (hoofed animals such as goats or pigs) that eat the plants or stomp on them. Also, non-native plants (plants brought from other places) can take over the space and resources that Maui nehe needs. Wildfires also threaten the areas where it grows.
