Back to gallery

Hibiscus brackenridgei subsp. mokuleianus

Maʻo hau hele

Malvaceae (Mallow family)

Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands (Oʻahu only)

IUCN: Endangered

Oʻahu (Cultivated)

 

Budding branch.

 

Open flower seen at

www.flickr.com/photos/dweickhoff/4797239047/in/photolist-...

 

This subspecies grows to be a small tree.

 

Maʻo hau hele was planted for an ornamental use by early Hawaiians.

 

Etymology

The generic name Hibiscus is derived from hibiscos, the Greek name for mallow.

 

The specific epithet brackenridgei is named after William Dunlop Brackenridge (1810-1893), Scottish-American horticulturist and superintendent of the National Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C.

 

The subspecies is mokuleianus is named for Mokulēʻia, an area in the northern Waiʻanae Mountains, Oʻahu where this subspecies is found.

 

nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Hibiscus_brackenridgei...

1,992 views
4 faves
4 comments
Uploaded on October 25, 2010
Taken on January 22, 2009