Wikstroemia villosa

Wikstroemia villosa (English name: Hairy Wikstroemia ) is an extremely rare plant from the family of Seidelbastgewächse ( Thymelaeaceae ). It is endemic to the island of Maui (Hawaii).

Description

Wikstroemia villosa is a shrub or small tree and reaches a height of 3 to 4.5 meters. The broadly elliptic to elliptic - ovate leaves are usually eight to thirteen centimeters long and three to four inches wide. The leaves are shaggy hairy, sometimes smooth. The average major axis of the leaflet ( rachis ) is 5 to 25 millimeters long.

The flower stems are two to four millimeters long. The flowers are yellow. The fruits are elliptic, ten to thirteen millimeters long and have a diameter of about seven millimeters.

Status

Wikstroemia villosa was repeatedly collected on the northern slope of Haleakala on East Maui. Two other collections made there on the ridges of the Valley Wailuku West Maui. After a documented sighting of 1928 the way was long considered lost until a single copy was rediscovered in 2007. Wikstroemia villosa grows in the rain forests of the mountain regions. Parts of the habitat have been converted into pasture. Another threat comes from feral pigs and competition with invasive plants.