Hibiscadelphus hualalaiensis

Hibiscadelphus hualalaiensis (Hualalai hau kuahiwi)^[3] is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family Malvaceae that is endemic to the Big Island of Hawaii.

Hibiscadelphus hualalaiensis
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 2.3)[1]
Possibly Extinct  (NatureServe)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malvales
Family:	Malvaceae
Genus:	Hibiscadelphus
Species:	H. hualalaiensis
Binomial name
Hibiscadelphus hualalaiensis Rock

Description

H. hualalaiensis is a small tree, reaching a height of 5–7 m (16–23 ft) and trunk diameter of 30 cm (12 in).^[4]

Distribution and habitat

It inhabits dry and mixed mesic forests on the slopes of Hualālai at elevations of 915–1,020 m (3,002–3,346 ft). Associated plants include ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), lama (Diospyros sandwicensis), māmane (Sophora chrysophylla), naio (Myoporum sandwicense), ʻālaʻa (Planchonella sandwicensis), pāpala (Charpentiera spp.), ʻaiea (Nothocestrum spp.), poʻolā (Claoxylon sandwicense), and Kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum).

Conservation

The last known plant died in 1992, making it most likely extinct in the wild; any remaining plants are threatened by habitat loss. However, individuals have been breed in captivity and replanted in nature reserves of the Big Island.