Kauai sandmat

Description

Euphorbia halemanui (syn. Chamaesyce halemanui) is a rare species of flowering plant in the euphorb family known by the common name Kauai sandmat. It is endemic to Kaua-i, Hawaii, where there are no more than 400 plants remaining.There are four populations at last count.It is a federally listed endangered species.This is a shrub with vining, climbing stems that bleed a milky sap. The inflorescence is a single cyathium or a dense cluster of many. It and other Hawaiian euphorbs perform C4 carbon fixation.This rare plant grows in moist forested slopes on Kaua-i. The forests are often dominated by koa (Acacia koa) and --hi-a lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha). In other areas it grows alongside kauila (Alphitonia ponderosa), hame (Antidesma platyphyllum), -a-ali-i (Dodonaea viscosa), Kauai koki-o (Kokia kauaiensis), and other native plants