Plantago princeps
Encyclopedia
Plantago princeps is a rare species of flowering plant in the plantain family
known by the common name ale. It is endemic to Hawaii
, where it is known from the islands of Hawaii
, Kauai
, Oahu
, Molokai
, and Maui
. Like other Hawaiian Plantago
, it is known as kuahiwi laukahi, or laukahi kuahiwi. It is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States.
This is a large perennial herb or a shrub
. The hairy leaves are up to 30 centimeters long by 5 wide and are borne on winged petioles
. The inflorescence
is a spike of flowers on an erect scape
. The tiny flowers are a few millimeters wide. Although the taxonomy is not certain, most authors divide the species into four varieties: var. anomala, var. laxifolia, var. longibracteata, and var. princeps.
This plant grows in moist and wet forested habitat types, sometimes on steep cliffs and near waterfall
s. The var. anomala is native to Kauai, where there have been fewer than 100 plants counted. The var. laxifolia is known from Molokai, where its numbers have recently dwindled and none were found in a recent search. This variety is also found on Maui, where there are seven small populations, or perhaps fewer. It once grew on the island of Hawaii, but it has not been noted there in over a century. The var. longibracteata is native to Kauai and there have been several thousand plants counted recently. It once grew on Oahu but it has apparently been extirpated
from that island. The var. princeps is native to Oahu where there are fewer than 100 individuals scattered in several different locations.
This plant is threatened by feral
ungulate
s such as pigs and goats
, and introduced species
of plants invading its habitat.
Plantaginaceae
Plantaginaceae Juss. or plantain family, are a family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales. The type genus is Plantago L..In older classifications it used to be the only family of the order Plantaginales, but numerous phylogenetic studies, summarized by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, have...
known by the common name ale. 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 from the islands of Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
, 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",...
, Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, Molokai
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
, and Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
. Like other Hawaiian Plantago
Plantago
Plantago is a genus of about 200 species of small, inconspicuous plants commonly called plantains. They share this name with the very dissimilar plantain, a kind of banana. Most are herbaceous plants, though a few are subshrubs growing to 60 cm tall. The leaves are sessile, but have a narrow...
, it is known as kuahiwi laukahi, or laukahi kuahiwi. It is a federally listed 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.
This is a large perennial herb or a shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
. The hairy leaves are up to 30 centimeters long by 5 wide and are borne on winged petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
. The 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...
is a spike of flowers on an erect scape
Peduncle (botany)
In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...
. The tiny flowers are a few millimeters wide. Although the taxonomy is not certain, most authors divide the species into four varieties: var. anomala, var. laxifolia, var. longibracteata, and var. princeps.
This plant grows in moist and wet forested habitat types, sometimes on steep cliffs and near waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s. The var. anomala is native to Kauai, where there have been fewer than 100 plants counted. The var. laxifolia is known from Molokai, where its numbers have recently dwindled and none were found in a recent search. This variety is also found on Maui, where there are seven small populations, or perhaps fewer. It once grew on the island of Hawaii, but it has not been noted there in over a century. The var. longibracteata is native to Kauai and there have been several thousand plants counted recently. It once grew on Oahu but it has apparently been extirpated
Local extinction
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, is the condition of a species which ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere...
from that island. The var. princeps is native to Oahu where there are fewer than 100 individuals scattered in several different locations.
This plant is threatened by feral
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
ungulate
Ungulate
Ungulates are several groups of mammals, most of which use the tips of their toes, usually hoofed, to sustain their whole body weight while moving. They make up several orders of mammals, of which six to eight survive...
s such as pigs and goats
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...
, and introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
of plants invading its habitat.