Sanicula purpurea
Encyclopedia
Sanicula purpurea is a rare species of flowering plant in the carrot family
known by the common names purpleflower black-snakeroot and purple-flowered sanicle. It is endemic to Hawaii
, where it is known from Maui
and from the Koolau Mountains
on the island of Oahu
. It is threatened by the degradation of its habitat. It was federally listed as endangered species
of the United States in 1996.
This plant has a short, thick stem growing up to about 36 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves have leathery blades measuring up to 8 centimeters long. They are heart-shaped or kidney-shaped and are divided into several large lobes. The inflorescence
is a cluster of flowers at the top of the stem. Each cluster has up to three bisexual flowers and up to seven male flowers with nonfunctioning female parts. The flowers have purple petals, making it easy to identify among the sanicles present in Hawaii.
This plant grows in bog
gy habitat among other plants such as Argyroxiphium grayanum
and Oreobolus furcatus.
By 1996 there was only one population remaining on Oahu, and possibly another, but the latter had not been seen in years. On Maui there were three populations. The total global population of the plant was estimated to be no more than 210 individuals.
Threats to the species include damage to the habitat by feral pigs and the presence of the non-native
narrow-leaved carpetgrass
(Axonopus fissifolius).
Apiaceae
The Apiaceae , commonly known as carrot or parsley family, is a group of mostly aromatic plants with hollow stems. The family is large, with more than 3,700 species spread across 434 genera, it is the sixteenth largest family of flowering plants...
known by the common names purpleflower black-snakeroot and purple-flowered sanicle. 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 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,...
and from the Koolau Mountains
Koolau Range
Koolau Range is a name given to the fragmented remnant of the eastern or windward shield volcano of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It is not a mountain range in the normal sense, because it was formed as a single mountain called Koolau Volcano...
on the island of 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...
. It is threatened by the degradation of its habitat. It was federally listed as 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 1996.
This plant has a short, thick stem growing up to about 36 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves have leathery blades measuring up to 8 centimeters long. They are heart-shaped or kidney-shaped and are divided into several large lobes. 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 cluster of flowers at the top of the stem. Each cluster has up to three bisexual flowers and up to seven male flowers with nonfunctioning female parts. The flowers have purple petals, making it easy to identify among the sanicles present in Hawaii.
This 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 habitat among other plants such as Argyroxiphium grayanum
Argyroxiphium grayanum
Argyroxiphium grayanum, commonly known as the greensword, is a species of flowering plant in the sunflower family, Asteraceae, and a member of the silversword alliance, a group of over 50 species which are diverse in morphology and habitat but are genetically closely related.The silversword...
and Oreobolus furcatus.
By 1996 there was only one population remaining on Oahu, and possibly another, but the latter had not been seen in years. On Maui there were three populations. The total global population of the plant was estimated to be no more than 210 individuals.
Threats to the species include damage to the habitat by feral pigs and the presence of the non-native
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...
narrow-leaved carpetgrass
Axonopus fissifolius
Axonopus fissifolius is a grass which is often used as permanent pasture.-External links:**...
(Axonopus fissifolius).