Hawaii ’s aboriginal mass are a magic , self-contradictory mathematical group of industrial plant which do n’t await , or even smell anything like other hatful . Some botanists speculate that the absence of predators in Hawaii caused these batch to gradually turn a loss the aromatic defense of their root . These diverse beauties more than make up for the lack of aromatic foliage with their beautiful , often fragrant flowers and lovely habit . The mint family is symbolise by four genera in Hawaii .
Haplostachys (Honohono)
This entire endemic genus is critically endangered , with at least four metal money that have locomote extinct since Western contact . Introduced grazing animals , which relish these tender plant , are thought to be the primary cause of their decimation . These upright herbaceous plants have large hairy leaf and succulent , satisfying stanch characteristic of other fellow member of the mint family .
This genus is represented by H. haplostachya , consider to be its only surviving fellow member . It is trammel to one small , isolated population on Hawaii Island . Honohonos are found at high elevations , where they rise in wry , cindery soils . These plants grow up to three feet high and produce spike of bombastic , snowy curved flower .
Phyllostegia (Ulihi)
This genus is represented by twenty eight autochthonous species , which are assort from rare , to endangered to extinct . They grow in the shade of wet forests as small herbaceous shrubs or climbing woody vine . They produce great flowers , clustered on erect spindle in white , pink lavender , purple or red .
P. ambigua is a shrubby , occasionally vine like mint , native to sloshed forests on Maui and Hawaii Island . It has smooth , bright immature leave-taking and produces tall spikes of large , fragrant , blanched flowers .
P. hirsuta is an endangered low shrubby mint found in the squiffy forest lot of Oahu . This mint has succulent stems and leaf which are obtusely covered with lily-white hair . It produces large , curved purple flowers , which are sometimes fragrant .
Plectranthus (Ala ala wai nui)
A individual mintage of this indigenous mess is found on all the main islands . It is the only genus of mint native to Hawaii that has no threatened member .
Ala ala wai nui ( P. parviflorus ) is a pocket-size herbaceous plants found in arid , rocky piazza at small peak . It has shining greenish , rounded , velvety leaves and produces ample spikes of small , white to lavender flower . The flowers explicate into small , light brown seed , which are prevail on the plant for a few weeks until they are dispersed by wind . Ala ala wai nui is well get in the Hawaiian garden as an informal , open ground cover , or in pots , as an attractive , cascading plant . It requires well drained soil , full to partial Lord’s Day and temperate irrigation . This mint will reseed promptly and could become underweight .
Stenogyne (Ma ohi ohi)
This endemic Hawaiian genus is play by 20 species , with phallus found on all the main islands . They are semi woody , branching vine , with laconic , rounded leaf . Their prominent cannular flower have long corolla propose their ancestral pollinator were long billed , aboriginal honeycreepers . Some coinage are locally available from native plant greenhouse and may succeed in the proper clime .
S. purpurea is a trailing vine found in the pissed timberland of Kauai . This sight bears bunch of beautiful , gravid purple flowers at the stem ending .
S. kamehamehae grows in high ALT wet forests on Maui and Molokai . It produces stunning flowers from inscrutable pink to bright flushed .
