Euphorbia kuwaleana

Euphorbia kuwaleana (syn. Chamaesyce kuwaleana)[2] is a rare species of flowering plant in the euphorb family known by the common name kokomalei. It is endemic to Oahu, Hawaii, where it is known only from a four-kilometer stretch of the Waianae Range.[1] Like other Hawaiian euphorbs, this plant is known locally as `akoko. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

Euphorbia kuwaleana
herbarium specimen

Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Genus: Euphorbia
Species:
E. kuwaleana
Binomial name
Euphorbia kuwaleana
O. Deg. & Sherff
Synonyms

Chamaesyce kuwaleana

This is a shrub that grows on bare, exposed basalt cliffs. The stems grow to a maximum length approaching one meter and they contain a milky sap. The new stems are reddish in color and age to a waxy gray. The leaves are oval to heart-shaped, up to 2.5 centimeters long, and slightly hairy on the undersides. The inflorescence is a cyathium occurring singly in the leaf axils or at the tip of the stem.

There are about 2000 plants remaining.[1] They are threatened by non-native plants and fire.[1]

References
  1. The Nature Conservancy
  2. "Euphorbia kuwaleana". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 23 January 2018.


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