Viola helenae

Viola helenae is a rare species of flowering plant in the violet family known by the common name Wahiawa stream violet. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known only from the Wahiawa Mountains of Kauai.[1] It is threatened by exotic plant species and feral pigs. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

Viola helenae

Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Violaceae
Genus: Viola
Species:
V. helenae
Binomial name
Viola helenae
Forbes & Lydgate

This plant is a subshrub which can reach 8 meters in height. It has long, narrow leaves and pale purple or white flowers.[2]

This species is in decline and its numbers have dropped since the 1990s. There are two populations left, one of which was decimated by a landslide in 2005, leaving only a few seedlings and a seed pod. The other population, containing seven individuals, may be sterile and is too far from the first population to interbreed with it.[1]

References
  1. USFWS. Viola helenae Five-year Review. January 2008.
  2. Viola helenae. The Nature Conservancy.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.