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Viola helena

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Viola helena

Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Violaceae
Genus: Viola
Species:
V. helena
Binomial name
Viola helena
Forbes & Lydgate
Synonyms
  • Viola helena var. lanaiensis Rock

Viola helena, commonly known as Wahiawa stream violet, is a rare species of flowering plant in the violet family. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known only from the Wahiawa Mountains of Kauai.[1] It is threatened by exotic plant species and feral pigs. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

Description

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Viola helena is a subshrub which can reach 8 meters in height. It has long, narrow leaves and pale purple or white flowers.[2]

Conservation

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This species is in decline and its numbers have dropped since the 1990s. There are two populations left, one of which was decimated by a landslide in 2005, leaving only a few seedlings and a seed pod. The other population, containing seven individuals, may be sterile and is too far from the first population to interbreed with it.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b USFWS. Viola helenae Five-year Review. January 2008.
  2. ^ Viola helenae. The Nature Conservancy.