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Currently Viewing: Hibiscus waimeae subsp. waimeae
Hibiscus waimeae subsp. waimeae - Flowering branches
P. Goltra
Other Resources for Hibiscus waimeae subsp. waimeae
Taxonomy:
Hibiscus waimeae A. Heller subsp. waimeae (Malvaceae)

Common Name:
White Kauai Rosemallow
Hawaiian White Hibiscus
Kauai White Hibiscus

Hawaiian Names:
Koki'o ke'oke'o
Koki'o kea

Classification:

Kingdom: Plantae-Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta-Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta-Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta-Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida-Dicotyledons
Subclass: Dilleniidae
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae-Mallow family
Genus Hibiscus L.- Rosemallow
Species: Hibiscus waimeae Heller- White Kauai Rosemallow
Subspecies: Hibiscus waimeae Heller ssp. Waimeae

Description:
Hibiscus waimeae is a small, gray-barked tree up to 10 m tall. The upper surface of the leaves is light green while the lower surface is covered with velvety hairs which makes it appear grayish.
The round or oval leaves are 5-20 cm long and 2 to 13 cm wide. The single flowers last only one day. They are white when they open in the morning and they fade to pink in the afternoon. The flowers occur towards the ends of the branches and have a strong, sweet fragrance (rare in the hibiscus family). The staminal column is pink to crimson. The seeds of Hibiscus waimeae are contained in tough, oval capsules about 2 cm long. The fuzzy brown seeds are about 5 mm long. Hibiscus waimeae is easily grown from fresh seed, but Hawaiian hibiscus hybridize readily and seedlings may be very different from the parent plants.
Of the two subspecies of H. waimeae, subsp. waimeae has larger flowers and smaller leaves compared to subsp. hannerae.
(Wagner,W.L., D.R. Herbst, and S.H. Sohmer. 1990. Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii.)
(NTBG. 1992. Unpublished Internal Papers.)
(Rauch. 1997.)


Geographic Distribution:
Geographic Distribution: The native hibiscus in Hawaii are thought to derive from four separate colonizations.
Hibiscus waimeae is found only on the island of Kaua’i and the subspecies waimeae is found in the found in the Waimea Canyon area and various western and southwestern, ocean-facing valleys, in mixed mesic forests from 250-1200 m.

Status:
Although Hibiscus waimeae subsp. waimeae is not endangered, Hibiscus waimeae subsp. hannerae is listed
as a federally endangered species and is on IUCN's red list of endangered species.

Species Interconnections and Interdependencies:
Species Interconnection and Interdependency:
Natural hybrids occur when insects or native birds cross-pollinate native hibiscus with introduced varieties (such as the common red Chinese hibiscus) that have become established along forest edges.
(Kepler, Angela K.
1984. Hawaiian Heritage Plants.)

Preservation and Conservation Strategies:
As an effort to preserve genetically pure collections of this subspecies, National Tropical Botanical Garden in Kaua'i is propagating the rare White Hibiscus by seeds and cuttings.
To ensure that the seedlings are not hybrids, the dedicated people of NTBG hand pollinate the flowers.

(National Tropical Botanical Garden. 1992. 1989. Unpublished Internal Papers.)

Native Legends and Names:
Mentioned occasionally in ancient song and legend, Hawaii's native white hibiscus are truly floral treasures, worthy of all protection.
(Wagner,W.L., D.R. Herbst, and S.H. Sohmer. 1990. Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii.)
(Kepler, Angela K. 1984. Hawaiian Heritage Plants.)

Indigenous Practices:
In old Hawaii, White Hibiscus were used primarily for decoration.

White Hibiscus grows well in cultivation.
Around 1900 this Kauai species was recognized as a plant worthy of world-wide recognition. Seeds were sent to other tropical regions such as Florida and the West Indies, where it now brightens gardens as an "exotic, introduced" hibiscus.
(Kepler, Angela K. 1984. Hawaiian Heritage Plants.)

NTBG Herbarium Data:

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