Nototrichium divaricatum
Encyclopedia
Nototrichium divaricatum, also known as Na Pali rockwort or kuluī (Hawaiian
), is a rare perennial shrub in the pigweed
family, Amaranthaceae
, that is endemic to the island of Kauai
in Hawaii
. It can be found in the northwestern part of the island in dry to moist shrublands, where it grows on north-facing cliffs and ridges.
N. divaricatum are densely branching shrubs 0.3–2 meters tall, with most parts covered with silvery-white hairs. Leaves are oppositely arranged, with leaf blades 3-7.5 cm long and 1-4.6 cm wide. Inflorescence
s bear several spikes, and are terminal and usually solitary, rarely 2 or 3 together, and compoundly branched. Each spike bears 8-30 small flowers.
This species was first described in 1996. There are possibly fewer than 3,000 N. divaricatum plants in existence.
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
), is a rare perennial shrub in the pigweed
Amaranth
Amaranthus, collectively known as amaranth, is a cosmopolitan genus of herbs. Approximately 60 species are recognized, with inflorescences and foliage ranging from purple and red to gold...
family, Amaranthaceae
Amaranthaceae
The flowering plant family Amaranthaceae, the Amaranth family, contains about 176 genera and 2,400 species.- Description :Most of these species are herbs or subshrubs; very few are trees or climbers. Some species are succulent....
, that is endemic to the island of 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",...
in 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...
. It can be found in the northwestern part of the island in dry to moist shrublands, where it grows on north-facing cliffs and ridges.
N. divaricatum are densely branching shrubs 0.3–2 meters tall, with most parts covered with silvery-white hairs. Leaves are oppositely arranged, with leaf blades 3-7.5 cm long and 1-4.6 cm wide. Inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s bear several spikes, and are terminal and usually solitary, rarely 2 or 3 together, and compoundly branched. Each spike bears 8-30 small flowers.
This species was first described in 1996. There are possibly fewer than 3,000 N. divaricatum plants in existence.