''Brighamia insignis'', commonly known as ''ʻŌlulu'' or ''Alula'' in Hawaiian, or colloquially as the vulcan palm or cabbage on a stick, is a

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 ...

Hawaiian lobelioid The Hawaiian lobelioids are a group of flowering plants in the bellflower family, Campanulaceae, subfamily Lobelioideae, all of which are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. This is the largest plant radiation in the Hawaiian Islands, and indeed t ...

in the bellflower family, Campanulaceae. It is native to the islands 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 ...

and Niihau. This short-lived perennial species is a member of a unique endemic

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 ...

an genus with only one other species.

Description

''Brighamia insignis'' is a potentially branched plant with a

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

stem Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...

that is bulbous at the bottom and tapers toward the top, ending in a compact rosette of fleshy

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

. The stem is usually in height, but can reach . The plant blooms in September through November.Hawaiian Native Plant Cultivation Database.
University of Hawaii, Manoa. It has clusters of fragrant yellow

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s in groups of three to eight in the leaf axils. The scent has been compared to

honeysuckle Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both contin ...

Petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s are fused into a tube long. The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

is a capsule long containing numerous

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

Distribution

It is extremely rare. In 1994 the

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

reported five populations totaling 45 to 65 individuals, and listed the plant as an

. As of today, the species is possibly extinct in the wild. The last single individual was recorded in the wild in 2014. ''Brighamia insignis'' is found at elevations from sea level to in mesic shrublands and dry forests that receive less than of annual rainfall. It grows on rocky ledges with little

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former te ...

and steep sea

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

s. Associated plants include ''āhinahina'' (''

Artemisia Artemisia may refer to: People * Artemisia I of Caria (fl. 480 BC), queen of Halicarnassus under the First Persian Empire, naval commander during the second Persian invasion of Greece * Artemisia II of Caria (died 350 BC), queen of Caria under th ...

'' spp.) ''akoko'' ('' Euphorbia celastroides''), ''alahee'' ('' Psydrax odorata''), ''kāwelu'' ('' Eragrostis variabilis''), ''pili'' ('' Heteropogon contortus''), ''kokio'' ula (''

Hibiscus kokio Hawaiian hibiscus are seven species of hibiscus native to Hawaii. The yellow hibiscus is Hawaii's state flower. Most commonly grown as ornamental plants in the Hawaiian Islands are the non-native Chinese hibiscus (''Hibiscus rosa-sinensis'') and it ...

''), ''ānaunau'' (''

Lepidium ''Lepidium'' is a genus of plants in the mustard/cabbage family, Brassicaceae. The genus is widely distributed in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia.serra Serra (Latin for "saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil *Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area *Ampar ...

''), ''nehe'' ('' Lipochaeta succulenta''), ''pokulakalaka'' (''

Munroidendron racemosum ''Polyscias racemosa'', or false 'ohe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Araliaceae. As ''Munroidendron racemosum'', the species was until recently considered to be the only species in the monotypic genus ''Munroidendron''. With the c ...

''), and ''ilima'' ('' Sida fallax'').

Endangered status

According to the U.S. Botanic Garden, its only

pollinator A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower. This helps to bring about fertilization of the ovules in the flower by the male gametes from the pollen grains. Insects are the maj ...

was a certain type of now-extinct hawk moth. This has made it all but impossible for ''B. insignis'' to reproduce on its own. Therefore, individuals only produce seed when artificially pollinated by humans. Other threats to the species have included exotic plant species, feral goats and pigs,

slug Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc. The word ''slug'' is also often used as part of the common name of any gastropod mollusc that has no shell, a very reduced shell, or only a smal ...

rat Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include ''Neotoma'' ( pack rats), ''Bandicota'' (bandicoot ...

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...

, and infestations of carmine spider mites ('' Tetranychus cinnabarinus'').The Nature Conservancy
/ref>USFWS
''Brighamia insignis'' Five Year Review.
January 18, 2008. There is also a

hiking trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. The ...

near one of the populations. The plant grows on steep, exposed cliffs and has been damaged by

hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

s and

landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated grade (slope), slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of ...

Cultivation

Despite its rarity in the wild it is not hard to cultivate in a nursery, and it has come into use as a novel

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

.National Tropical Botanical Garden
/ref>

Gallery

Image:Brighamia insignis - flowers.JPG, Flowers of the ''Brighamia insignis'' File:Flower HawaiianPalm.JPG, Closeup of a flower Image:alula.jpg, An ''alula'' plant at

Limahuli Garden and Preserve The Limahuli Garden and Preserve is a and on the north shore of Kauai island, Hawaii. It is one of the five gardens of the non-profit National Tropical Botanical Garden. Description Limahuli lies within a tropical valley covering three disti ...

, Kauai.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1934110 insignis Critically endangered plants Endemic flora of Hawaii Trees of Hawaii Niihau Biota of Kauai