Hibiscus Flower of Hawaii Thought Out Rediscovered By Drone

A species of hibiscus flower was rediscovered in the Hawaiian island of Kauai a decade after its last live appearance. The island of Kauai is recognized as a hotspot for biodiversity in the Hawaiian Islands.

Hibiscus species rediscovered

During a drone surveillance conducted in late January in the Kalalau Valley at Kauai, Hawaii, researchers rediscovered a small colony of three Hibiscadelphus woodii (H. woodii) on a vertical cliff. It is in 2009 that the species was seen alive for the last time. She has since been listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as an extinct parent of hibiscus.

Previous efforts to spread H. woodii have failed despite the use of several different methods. The rediscovery thus gives hope, not only for H. woodii, but for other species considered extinct as well. In addition, it also highlights the importance of surveillance by drones in botanical surveys, especially on rugged terrain.

"The drones open up a trove of unexplored cliff habitat, and while it may be the first such discovery, I'm sure it will not be the last," said Ben Nyberg of the Garden. national tropical botany.

Hibiscadelphus Woodii

H.woodii develops like a shrub or a small tree and produces yellow flowers which become violaceous when ripe. It was first discovered in 1991 on a cliff in the Kalalau Valley and was officially named in 1995. This brought the hibiscus to seven species, which can only be found in the Hawaiian Islands. In 2012, another discovery in Maui became the eighth species of hibiscus, but six of them were already extinct.

The location of the cliff in which H. woodii grows is generally not accessible to humans and animals, such as goats that pose a threat, but invasive plant species, introduced animals and scree affect the species. In fact, it was the fall of the rocks in the late 1990s that led to the disappearance of the species.

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