Aloha Monday!
ʻĀwiwi, Schenkia sebaeoides, don't fall under PEPP's official category of fewer than 50 remaining in the wild, but they are still federally listed as endangered and a species we keep an eye on. These tiny plants are one of our few native annuals and only occur in dry, coastal zones on Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Moloka‘i and West Maui. The stems can grow solitary or branch from the bottom, but almost always branching close to the inflorescence. ʻĀwiwi leaves are somewhat fleshy, obovate, 3-nerved, and often clasping to the stem (Wagner et al). The flowers occur in elongate spike-like cymes with white to pale pink flowers. This is one distinguishing factor between ʻāwiwi and the non native bitter herb, Centaurium erythraea, which have pinkish lavender flowers.
This species can be relatively prolific after heavy seasonal rains, but drying trends, increasing levels of non-native species, and habit loss are heavily impacting their populations. Making collections of these now helps to ensure we don't lose Hawai‘i's only native gentian!
Image credits: @zpezzillo Wendy Kishida
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