''Melicope degeneri'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae known by the common names Kokee Stream melicopeUSDA Plants Profile
/ref> and Degener's pelea.''Melicope degeneri''.
The Nature Conservancy. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known only from the island of

Kauai Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...

. It is a federally listed

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

of the United States. Like other Hawaiian ''Melicope'', this species is known as ''alani''.USFWS
Species Reports: Plants.
/ref> This is a

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

or tree with oppositely arranged leaves, flowers usually in clusters of three, and cube-shaped fruits. It grows in wet mountain forests.USFWS
Determination of Endangered Status for 48 Species on Kauai and Designation of Critical Habitat; Final Rule.
''Federal Register'' April 13, 2010. The type specimen of this plant was collected in 1926. The species was not seen again and was thought to be

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

until its 1993 rediscovery. Today there are 22 or 23 known individuals. This plant is threatened by the degradation of its habitat by the activity of feral goats and pigs and competition with non-native plants.

References

degeneri Endemic flora of Hawaii Biota of Kauai {{Rutaceae-stub