''Urera kaalae'', opuhe, is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the nettle family,

Urticaceae The Urticaceae are a family, the nettle family, of flowering plants. The family name comes from the genus ''Urtica''. The Urticaceae include a number of well-known and useful plants, including nettles in the genus ''Urtica'', ramie (''Boehmeri ...

, that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the island of

Oahu Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

. It inhabits slopes and gulches in mesic forests at elevations of . Currently it is restricted to the southern and central parts of the

Waianae Mountains Waianae () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States. As of the 2020 census, the CDP population was 13,614. Its name means "waters of the mullet". Its etymology is shared with the far northern Wellington subu ...

. Associated plants include maile (''

Alyxia oliviformis ''Alyxia stellata'', known as ''maile'' in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering plant in the dogbane family, ''Apocynaceae'', that is native to Hawaii. It grows as either a twining liana, scandent shrub, or small erect shrub, and is one of the ...

''), hame (''

Antidesma platyphyllum ''Antidesma platyphyllum'' is a species of flowering tree in the leafflower family, Phyllanthaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. Common names include ''hame'', ''haā'', ''mehame'', ''hamehame'', ''mēhamehame'', and ''haāmaile''. It inhabits co ...

''), '' Asplenium kaulfusii'', ''

Athyrium ''Athyrium'' (lady-fern) is a genus of about 180 species of terrestrial ferns, with a cosmopolitan distribution. It is placed in the family Athyriaceae, in the order Polypodiales. Its genus name is from Greek '' a-'' ('without') and Latinized G ...

'' spp., āwikiwiki (''

Canavalia ''Canavalia'' is a genus of plants in the legume family ( Fabaceae) that comprises approximately 48 to 50 species of tropical vines. Members of the genus are commonly known as jack-beans. The species of ''Canavalia'' endemic to the Hawaiian Isl ...

'' spp.), pāpala (''

Charpentiera ''Charpentiera'' is a flowering plant genus in the family Amaranthaceae. It consists of five species endemic to Hawaii, where they are known as ''pāpala'', and one species found only on the island of Tubuai in the Austral Islands. All species a ...

'' spp.), akoko (''

Euphorbia ''Euphorbia'' is a very large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge, in the family Euphorbiaceae. "Euphorbia" is sometimes used in ordinary English to collectively refer to all members of Euphorbiaceae (in deference to t ...

'' spp.), poolā (''

Claoxylon sandwicense ''Claoxylon'' is a flowering plant genus in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, comprising dioecious subshrubs to small trees. It was first described as a genus in 1824. The genus is distributed in paleotropical areas: Madagascar through South and ...

''), ēlama (''

Diospyros hillebrandii ''Diospyros hillebrandii'', is a species of flowering tree in the ebony family, Ebenaceae, that is endemic to the islands of Oahu and Kauai in Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in t ...

''), ''

Doryopteris ''Doryopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the subfamily Cheilanthoideae of the family Pteridaceae. Species The circumscription Circumscription may refer to: *Circumscribed circle * Circumscription (logic) *Circumscription (taxonomy) *Circumscrip ...

'' spp., iei.e. (''

Freycinetia arborea ''Freycinetia arborea'', ''Ieie'', is a densely branched, brittle, woody climber in the family Pandanaceae, endemic to the Pacific Islands. ''Ieie'' is found in moist forest on the Hawaiian, Marquesas, Austral, Society, and Cook Islands. ...

''), manono ('' Hedyotis acuminata''), ''

Hibiscus ''Hibiscus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising several hundred species that are native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species ...

'' spp., olopua (''

Nestegis sandwicensis ''Nestegis sandwicensis'', commonly known as Hawai'i olive or ''olopua'', is a species of flowering tree in the olive family, Oleaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It is found on all major islands at elevations of in coastal mesic and mixed mes ...

''), māmaki (''

Pipturus albidus ''Pipturus albidus'', known as ''māmaki'' (sometimes ''waimea'', for its resemblance to olomea) in Hawaiian and known as Waimea pipturus in English, is a species of flowering plant in the nettle family, Urticaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. ...

''), hala pepe ('' Dracaena'' spp.), ālaa ('' Pouteria sandwicensis''), kōpiko (''

Psychotria ''Psychotria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It contains 1,582 species and is therefore one of the largest genera of flowering plants. The genus has a pantropical distribution and members of the genus are small understor ...

'' spp.), heuhiuhi ('' Senna gaudichaudii''), aiai ('' Paratrophis pendulina''), ōpuhe ('' Touchardia sandwicensis''), and maua (''

Xylosma hawaiensis ''Xylosma hawaiensis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Salicaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. Common names include Hawai'i brushholly, ''maua'', and ''ae'' (Maui only). Description ''Xylosma hawaiensis'' is a small deciduous tree, ...

''). It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

References

kaalae Endemic flora of Hawaii Critically endangered plants Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Heinrich Wawra von Fernsee {{urticaceae-stub