''Phyllostegia variabilis'' is an
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 ...
species of
flowering plant in the family
Lamiaceae
The Lamiaceae ( )
or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory ...
. It was described by
Friedrich August Georg Bitter in 1900. The species was
endemic to the
Kure Atoll,
Midway Islands, and the island of
Laysan, all being a part of the
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands or Leeward Hawaiian Islands are a series of islands and atolls in the Hawaiian island chain located northwest (in some cases, far to the northwest) of the islands of Kauai and Niihau. Politically, they are all p ...
.
It was under the threat of
military installations on the Kure Atoll, and the Midway Islands, but on the island of Laysan was threatened by
invasive alien plants and
animals. The species may or may not be still alive in its natural range, but no clear evidence of its survival is evident.
References
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q15350783
variabilis
Plants described in 1900