'Ahinahina
Argyroxiphium sandwicense
Argyroxiphium is endemic to Hawai'i, with a genus of five species limited to the islands of Maui and Hawai'i. The category includes greenswords and silverswords:
1. Argyroxiphium caliginis - The 'Eke Silversword is a tiny variety endemic to the Mount 'Eke and Pu'u Kukui bogs in West Maui.
2. Argyroxiphium grayanum - This is a greensword species occurring mostly in and on the perimeter of bogs in the 4,000 to 7,000 foot level in Maui.
3. Argyroxiphium kauense - The Mauna Loa Silversword is endemic to the slopes of Mauna Loa on Hawai'i island and carries the name of the district in which it was discovered, Ka'u. The Kupaianaha design we have is based on Sig's studies of the Mauna Loa variety at the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park nursery.
4. Argyroxiphium sandwicense - There are two subspecies of this silversword: subspecies sanwicense, the Mauna Kea Silversword, and subspecies macrocephalum, the Haleakala Silversword. Differences between the Mauna Kea and Haleakala silverswords have to do with the color of the flowers and the shape of the leaves. The Mauna Kea variety is thinner, and the leaves sharper and longer than those of its Maui counterpart.
5. Argyroxiphium virescens - This was an East Maui greensword which occurred on Pu'u Alaea in East Maui and is now presumed extinct. However, its legacy continues in this hybrid between the now extinct plant and the Haleakala silversword.
The silversword is a descendant of the North American tarweed. It is an endangered species, endemic to the areas it grows in. The silversword found on Haleakala on Maui differs from the one on Mauna Kea on Hawai'i island, and from the one on Mauna Loa, also on Hawai'i island. Each variety adapted to its environment, developing characteristics that allows it to stand alone from the others. The plant on Maui, for instance blooms from June to September and the flowers are generally purple to a deep wine color, while the Mauna Loa variety has yellow flowers.
'Ahinahina
Kaka'ikahi ka 'ahinahina, he pua laha 'ole kona.
The rare silversword, with a flower unlike any other.
When people talk about the silversword, for most, the Haleakala species comes to mind. It's robust, full, and aesthetically pleasant to look at. It's also much easier to gain access to, as opposed to the other species. Revitalization of the plant over the last ninety years has also helped the endangered Maui species to make a strong comeback.
In the past, the 'ahinahina was so plentiful on Haleakala that people would go there for the simple sport of rolling the plants down cinder cones. Others would bring plants down to prove they'd crested the summit, and after the introduction of feral goats and domestic cattle, the species' decline continued in numbers alarming enough for the Maui Chamber of Commerce to send a plea to Washington D.C. to help save it.
Because of the management of the Haleakala National Park, the most serious former threats to the 'ahinahina (human vandalism and grazing by animals) has been virtually eliminated. The greatest threat these days appears to be a decline in the endemic pollinators because of an invasion of the Argentine ant. Thankfully the queen ants cannot fly, so this helps to slow the spread of the species and gives conservationists a chance to try and eliminate colonies.
Individual plants of the Mauna Kea silversword can live from three to upwards of fifty years. A plant lives until it flowers, and then it dies. There are five populations of the very rare plant (only about 500 plants left), and only one is naturally occurring, outside the Waipahoehoe gulch. Like the Haleakala species, the part of the decline of the Mauna Kea silversword has been attributed to browsing by animals, specifically mouflon sheep and goats.
Between 1973 and 1982, the state outplanted greenhouse-grown silverswords in three enclosures within the Mauna Kea forest reserve near Pu'u Nanaha around the 9,000 foot level, near the Skyline jeep trail almost two hundred feet higher in elevation, and at Waipahoehoe gulch. There is hope that its recovery may someday reach the same success levels of the Haleakala silversword
Hope is a beautiful thing to have, and with the hard work and tireless efforts of conservationists, our children's children may someday see these incredibly amazing plants growing in their natural habitats.
Photos come from the public domain.
Argyroxiphium sandwicense
Argyroxiphium is endemic to Hawai'i, with a genus of five species limited to the islands of Maui and Hawai'i. The category includes greenswords and silverswords:
1. Argyroxiphium caliginis - The 'Eke Silversword is a tiny variety endemic to the Mount 'Eke and Pu'u Kukui bogs in West Maui.
2. Argyroxiphium grayanum - This is a greensword species occurring mostly in and on the perimeter of bogs in the 4,000 to 7,000 foot level in Maui.
3. Argyroxiphium kauense - The Mauna Loa Silversword is endemic to the slopes of Mauna Loa on Hawai'i island and carries the name of the district in which it was discovered, Ka'u. The Kupaianaha design we have is based on Sig's studies of the Mauna Loa variety at the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park nursery.
4. Argyroxiphium sandwicense - There are two subspecies of this silversword: subspecies sanwicense, the Mauna Kea Silversword, and subspecies macrocephalum, the Haleakala Silversword. Differences between the Mauna Kea and Haleakala silverswords have to do with the color of the flowers and the shape of the leaves. The Mauna Kea variety is thinner, and the leaves sharper and longer than those of its Maui counterpart.
5. Argyroxiphium virescens - This was an East Maui greensword which occurred on Pu'u Alaea in East Maui and is now presumed extinct. However, its legacy continues in this hybrid between the now extinct plant and the Haleakala silversword.
The silversword is a descendant of the North American tarweed. It is an endangered species, endemic to the areas it grows in. The silversword found on Haleakala on Maui differs from the one on Mauna Kea on Hawai'i island, and from the one on Mauna Loa, also on Hawai'i island. Each variety adapted to its environment, developing characteristics that allows it to stand alone from the others. The plant on Maui, for instance blooms from June to September and the flowers are generally purple to a deep wine color, while the Mauna Loa variety has yellow flowers.
'Ahinahina
Kaka'ikahi ka 'ahinahina, he pua laha 'ole kona.
The rare silversword, with a flower unlike any other.
When people talk about the silversword, for most, the Haleakala species comes to mind. It's robust, full, and aesthetically pleasant to look at. It's also much easier to gain access to, as opposed to the other species. Revitalization of the plant over the last ninety years has also helped the endangered Maui species to make a strong comeback.
In the past, the 'ahinahina was so plentiful on Haleakala that people would go there for the simple sport of rolling the plants down cinder cones. Others would bring plants down to prove they'd crested the summit, and after the introduction of feral goats and domestic cattle, the species' decline continued in numbers alarming enough for the Maui Chamber of Commerce to send a plea to Washington D.C. to help save it.
Because of the management of the Haleakala National Park, the most serious former threats to the 'ahinahina (human vandalism and grazing by animals) has been virtually eliminated. The greatest threat these days appears to be a decline in the endemic pollinators because of an invasion of the Argentine ant. Thankfully the queen ants cannot fly, so this helps to slow the spread of the species and gives conservationists a chance to try and eliminate colonies.
Individual plants of the Mauna Kea silversword can live from three to upwards of fifty years. A plant lives until it flowers, and then it dies. There are five populations of the very rare plant (only about 500 plants left), and only one is naturally occurring, outside the Waipahoehoe gulch. Like the Haleakala species, the part of the decline of the Mauna Kea silversword has been attributed to browsing by animals, specifically mouflon sheep and goats.
Between 1973 and 1982, the state outplanted greenhouse-grown silverswords in three enclosures within the Mauna Kea forest reserve near Pu'u Nanaha around the 9,000 foot level, near the Skyline jeep trail almost two hundred feet higher in elevation, and at Waipahoehoe gulch. There is hope that its recovery may someday reach the same success levels of the Haleakala silversword
Hope is a beautiful thing to have, and with the hard work and tireless efforts of conservationists, our children's children may someday see these incredibly amazing plants growing in their natural habitats.
Photos come from the public domain.
posted by Ipo / SigZaneOhana at 6:13 PM
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