Isodendrion hosakae

Isodendrion hosakae NatureServe Explorer Species Reports — NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports — ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Isodendrion hosakae is a rare species of flowering plant in the violet family known by the common names cindercone isodendrion and aupaka. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known from fewer than 1000 individuals on the island of Hawaii. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

This is a shrub growing up to about 80 centimeters in maximum height. The lance-shaped leaves are about 2.5 centimeters long. It produces fragrant greenish yellow flowers each about 1.3 centimeters long.

This shrub only grows in cinder cones within a 2.4-kilometer radius area on the island of Hawaii. The total area occupied by the plant is about 0.8 hectare. The plants are located on the summits or exposed slopes of the dormant cones, where it is windy and foggy. The plants may obtain a large part of their moisture from the fog.

The plants’ habitat is surrounded by rangeland grazed by cattle. A major threat to their survival is predation by the cattle. Feral pigs are also present in the area. The species is threatened by non-native plants, which in turn increase the risk of severe fires, which damage the habitat