Kingdom Plantae Family Malvaceae Scientific name Hibiscus waimeae Rank Species | Order Malvales Genus Hibiscus Higher classification Hibiscus | |
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Similar Hibiscus, Hibiscus clayi, Mallows, Hibiscus calyphyllus, Yellow hibiscus | ||
Hibiscus waimeae (white Kauai rosemallow, Hawaiian: kokiʻo keʻokeʻo, or kokiʻo kea) is a species of flowering plant in the okra family, Malvaceae, that is endemic to the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaii. It is a small gray-barked tree, reaching a height of 6–10 metres (20–33 ft) and a trunk diameter of 0.3 m (0.98 ft). The flowers last for a single day, starting out white and fading to pink in the afternoon. H. arnottianus of Oʻahu and Molokaʻi and H. waimeae are the only Hawaiian hibiscuses that have white flowers. H. waimeae inhabits coastal mesic, mixed mesic, and wet forests at elevations of 250–1,200 m (820–3,940 ft).
H. waimeae subsp. waimeae can be found in the western and southwestern parts of the island, where it grows in the Waimea Canyon area and valleys that face the ocean. H. waimeae subsp. hannerae is rarer (listed as endangered by the USFWS) and can be found in the northwestern part of the island where it grows in the Hanakapiʻai, Limahuli, and Kalihi Wai valleys.
