Dubautia waialealae
Encyclopedia
Dubautia waialealae is a rare species of flowering plant in the aster family
known by the common name Wai'ale'ale dubautia. It is endemic to Hawaii
, where it is known only from Mount Waiʻaleʻale on Kauai
. One individual was seen outside the range, about 14 kilometers away, but this plant is now dead. A recent count estimates a total population of about 3000 plants. It was federally listed as an endangered species
of the United States in 2010. Like other Dubautia this plant is called na`ena`e.
This distinctive member of the silversword alliance
takes the form of a dense, rounded, cushionlike clump 10 to 50 centimeters tall. The leaves are borne in tightly packed whorls. Yellow flowers are borne in heads
. Blooming occurs in August through November.
The plant grows in bog
gy wet forest habitat on the mountain summit that is considered one of the rainiest spots on earth, if not the rainiest. It grows in habitat around the famous Mount Waiʻaleʻale rain gauge
, which measures 460 inches (38.3 feet) of rain in an average year, its distribution extending a short way down the slopes of the mountain.
Threats to this rare localized endemic plant include damage to the habitat by feral pigs, feral goat
s, and invasive plant species
such as Juncus planifolius and Andropogon virginicus
.
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
known by the common name Wai'ale'ale dubautia. It is endemic to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, where it is known only from Mount Waiʻaleʻale on Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
. One individual was seen outside the range, about 14 kilometers away, but this plant is now dead. A recent count estimates a total population of about 3000 plants. It was federally listed as an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of the United States in 2010. Like other Dubautia this plant is called na`ena`e.
This distinctive member of the silversword alliance
Silversword alliance
Silversword alliance refers to an adaptive radiation of over 50 species in the composite or sunflower family, Asteraceae. The group is endemic to Hawaii, and is derived from a single immigrant to the islands...
takes the form of a dense, rounded, cushionlike clump 10 to 50 centimeters tall. The leaves are borne in tightly packed whorls. Yellow flowers are borne in heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
. Blooming occurs in August through November.
The plant grows in bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
gy wet forest habitat on the mountain summit that is considered one of the rainiest spots on earth, if not the rainiest. It grows in habitat around the famous Mount Waiʻaleʻale rain gauge
Rain gauge
A rain gauge is a type of instrument used by meteorologists and hydrologists to gather and measure the amount of liquid precipitation over a set period of time....
, which measures 460 inches (38.3 feet) of rain in an average year, its distribution extending a short way down the slopes of the mountain.
Threats to this rare localized endemic plant include damage to the habitat by feral pigs, feral goat
Feral goat
The feral goat is the domestic goat when it has become established in the wild. Feral goats occur in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Great Britain, Hawaii, the Galapagos and in many other parts of the world...
s, and invasive plant species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
such as Juncus planifolius and Andropogon virginicus
Andropogon virginicus
Andropogon virginicus is a species of grass known by several common names, including broomsedge bluestem and yellowsedge bluestem. It is native to the southeastern United States and as far north as the Great Lakes. It is known as an introduced species in California and Hawaii, where it is...
.