Hibiscus waimeae

Hibiscus waimeae (white Kauai rosemallow, Hawaiian: kokiʻo keʻokeʻo, or kokiʻo kea) is a species of flowering plant in the okra family, Malvaceae, that is endemic to the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaii.[1] It is a small gray-barked tree, reaching a height of 6–10 metres (20–33 ft)[3] and a trunk diameter of 0.3 m (0.98 ft).[4] The flowers last for a single day, starting out white and fading to pink in the afternoon.[5] H. arnottianus of Oʻahu and Molokaʻi and H. waimeae are the only Hawaiian hibiscuses that have white flowers.[6] H. waimeae inhabits coastal mesic, mixed mesic, and wet forests at elevations of 250–1,200 m (820–3,940 ft).[1]

Hibiscus waimeae
Hibiscus waimeae subsp. hannerae

Imperiled  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Hibiscus
Species:
H. waimeae
Binomial name
Hibiscus waimeae
Subspecies
  • H. w. hannerae (O.Deg & I.Deg.) D.Bates[2]
  • H. w. waimeae
H. waimeae subsp. hannerae flower

H. waimeae subsp. waimeae can be found in the western and southwestern parts of the island, where it grows in the Waimea Canyon area and valleys that face the ocean.[7] H. waimeae subsp. hannerae is rarer (listed as endangered by the USFWS) and can be found in the northwestern part of the island[8] where it grows in the Hanakapiʻai, Limahuli, and Kalihi Wai valleys.[2]

References
  1. "Hibiscus waimeae". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
  2. "Hibiscus waimeae subsp. hannerae". Meet the Plants. National Tropical Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
  3. Wagner, Warren Lambert; Derral R. Herbst; S. H. Sohmer (1990). Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaiʻi. Volume 1. University of Hawaii Press. p. 888. ISBN 978-0-8248-1152-5. Archived from the original on 2010-03-28.
  4. Little Jr., Elbert L.; Roger G. Skolmen (1989). "Kokiʻo keʻokeʻo, native white hibiscus" (PDF). United States Forest Service. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. "Hibiscus waimeae". Hawaiian Native Plant Propagation Database. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
  6. Bornhorst, Heidi Leianuenue (2005). Growing Native Hawaiian Plants: A How-to Guide for the Gardener (2nd ed.). Bess Press. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-57306-207-7.
  7. "Hibiscus waimeae subsp. waimeae". Meet the Plants. National Tropical Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
  8. "Hibiscus waimeae ssp. hannerae". The Hawaiʻi Biodiversity & Mapping Program. University of Hawaiʻi. Archived from the original on 2009-09-18. Retrieved 2009-11-18.

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