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Hibiscadelphus hualalaiensis

Hibiscadelphus hualalaiensis (Hualalai hau kuahiwi) is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family Malvaceae that is endemic to the Big Island of Hawaii.

Description

H. hualalaiensis is a small tree, reaching a height of and trunk diameter of .

Distribution and habitat

It inhabits dry and mixed mesic forests on the slopes of Hualālai at elevations of . Associated plants include ōhia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), lama (Diospyros sandwicensis), māmane (Sophora chrysophylla), naio (Myoporum sandwicense), ālaa (Planchonella sandwicensis), pāpala (Charpentiera spp.), aiea (Nothocestrum spp.), poolā (Claoxylon sandwicense), and Kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum).

Conservation

The last known plant died in 1992, making it most likely extinct in the wild; any remaining plants are threatened by habitat loss. However, individuals have been breed in captivity and replanted in nature reserves of the Big Island.

References