Tetramolopium remyi
Encyclopedia
Tetramolopium remyi is a rare species of flowering plant in the aster family
known by the common names Awalua Ridge tetramolopium and Remy's tetramolopium. It is endemic to Hawaii
, where today it is known only from the island of Lanai
. It is believed to be extirpated
on the island of Maui
, having not been observed there since 1944. It is threatened by habitat degradation caused by deer
, Mouflon
, and introduced species
of plants. It is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States.
This plant is an erect or reclining shrub
growing up to about 40 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves, measuring up to 3.5 centimeters in length, are narrow and stiff and have rolled edges. The inflorescence
contains a single flower head
. At up to 1.5 centimeters wide, the heads of this species are the largest of any in genus Tetramolopium. They contain many white ray florets and yellow disc florets.
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 names Awalua Ridge tetramolopium and Remy's tetramolopium. 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 today it is known only from the island of Lanai
Lanai
Lānai or Lanai is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is also known as the Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple plantation. The only town is Lānai City, a small settlement....
. It is believed to be 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...
on the island of 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,...
, having not been observed there since 1944. It is threatened by habitat degradation caused by deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, Mouflon
Mouflon
The mouflon is a subspecies group of the wild sheep Ovis aries. Populations of Ovis aries can be partitioned into the mouflons and urials or arkars...
, 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. 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 plant is an erect or reclining 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...
growing up to about 40 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves, measuring up to 3.5 centimeters in length, are narrow and stiff and have rolled edges. 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...
contains a single flower head
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
. At up to 1.5 centimeters wide, the heads of this species are the largest of any in genus Tetramolopium. They contain many white ray florets and yellow disc florets.