''Anaphalis javanica'', the Javanese edelweiss, is a flowering plant species endemic to

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. They are found mostly in mountainous regions of

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...

, southern

Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...

, southern

Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...

and

Lombok Lombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east. It is rou ...

. Although a mature plant can reach eight metres in height, most specimens are less than a metre tall. The flower are generally seen between April and August. A bird species, the

Javan whistling thrush The Javan whistling thrush (''Myophonus glaucinus'') is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Java and Bali. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slop ...

(''

Myophonus glaucinus The Javan whistling thrush (''Myophonus glaucinus'') is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Java and Bali. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. References Javan whistling thrush Bi ...

''), nests in the plant's branches.

Threats

Known as ''bunga abadi'' in Indonesian, literally means eternal flower, this plant is popular among tourists. Dried flowers are often sold as souvenirs. This could lead to the destruction of the wild grown species. In the Bromo-Tengger region in

East Java East Java ( id, Jawa Timur) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost hemisphere of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean bord ...

this plant is considered extinct. This species is constantly decreasing in number and is currently protected in

Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park Mount Gede Pangrango National Park is a national park in West Java, Indonesia. The park is centred on two volcanoes—Mount Gede and Mount Pangrango—and is 150 km² in area. It evolved from already existing conservation areas, such as Ci ...

. The plant has been protected under Indonesian law since 1990.

Gallery

Javanese Edelweiss Field.JPG, Javanese edelweiss field on Mount Papandayan Javanese Edelweiss.JPG, Javanese edelweiss Javanese Edelweiss Close Up.JPG, A close up of Javanese edelweiss flower

References

External links

javanica Endemic flora of Indonesia Plants described in 1826 {{Gnaphalieae-stub