''Remya montgomeryi'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name Kalalau Valley remya. 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 threatened by the degradation of its habitat. 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. This

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 ...

grows up to a meter tall and bears open

panicle A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are of ...

s of

flower heads A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...

.''Remya kauaiensis''.
The Nature Conservancy. This plant is one of three species in ''Remya'', a genus endemic to Hawaii, and one of the two ''Remya'' that are limited to the island of Kauai.USFWS
''Remya montgomeryi'' Five-year Review.
August 2010. This plant was discovered in 1985 and described in 1987.Wagner, W. L and D. R. Herbst. (1987)
A new species of ''Remya'' (Asteraceae: Astereae) on Kaua'i and a review of the genus.
''Systematic Botany'' 12(4) 601. By 2003 there were six populations known for a total of about 143 individuals. Threats to this species include the destruction of the habitat by introduced species of ungulates such as feral pigs, feral goats, and deer.

Invasive plant species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

are also a threat, including downy wood fern, velvet grass, airplant,

daisy fleabane Daisy fleabane is a common name for several species in the genus ''Erigeron'': * ''Erigeron annuus'', the eastern daisy fleabane * '' Erigeron bellidiastrum'', the western daisy fleabane * ''Erigeron strigosus ''Erigeron strigosus'' is a species ...

, blackberry, lantana,

banana poka ''Passiflora tarminiana'' (or banana passionfruit) is a species of passionfruit. The yellow fruits are edible and their resemblance to small, straight bananas has given it the name banana passionfruit in some countries. It is native to the uplan ...

, honeysuckle, yellow foxtail, and vasey grass.

References

External links

USDA Plants Profile
Astereae Endemic flora of Hawaii Plants described in 1987 {{Astereae-stub