Olokele Valley melicope facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Olokele Valley melicope |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Melicope
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| Species: |
knudsenii
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The Melicope knudsenii, also known as the Olokele Valley melicope or Knudsen's melicope, is a special kind of flowering plant. It belongs to the Rutaceae family, which includes citrus fruits. This plant is only found in Hawaii, meaning it is endemic to these islands.
It grows in certain Hawaiian forests. These forests are usually found on mountains. You can find this plant on the islands of Kauaʻi and East Maui. It often grows near other native Hawaiian trees like Acacia koa and Metrosideros polymorpha. Like other Melicope plants in Hawaii, it is also called alani. This plant is considered an endangered species by the United States government.
What Does It Look Like?
This amazing plant is actually a tree. It can grow quite tall, reaching up to 10 meters (about 33 feet) high. That's like a three-story building!
The tree produces large groups of flowers. These groups are called inflorescences. Each group can have as many as 200 flowers!
Where Does It Live?
The Melicope knudsenii is very rare today. It only lives on two Hawaiian islands: Kauai and Maui. Even on these islands, there are only a few of these trees left.
In 2008, only three of these trees were known to exist on Kauai. A survey done in 1999 found just one wild tree left on Maui. Luckily, there was also one tree growing in a special plant garden called an arboretum.
Helping the Melicope knudsenii
The tree in the arboretum is very important. It is producing seeds, which are being carefully collected. These seeds are then grown into new young plants, called seedlings.
Once the seedlings are strong enough, they will be planted in suitable places in the wild. This effort helps to protect and increase the number of these rare trees. The biggest threat to this plant is habitat loss. This means its natural home is being destroyed or changed. Protecting its habitat is key to its survival.
See also
In Spanish: Melicope knudsenii para niños
