Obama Administration Adds Rare Hawaiian Vine to Endangered Species List
A rare Hawaiian vine, Phyllostegia hispida has been added to the endangered species list by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This is the second species added to the list since Barack Obama became president, the first being the reticulated flatwoods salamander which was added last month.
The plant in question is a only found in wet forests on the island of Molokai, at elevations of 2,300 to 4,000 feet. It had been thought extinct since 1997, but four years ago two seedling were found in the Nature Conservancy's Kamakou preserve. It is now thought that about 23 plants exist. The biggest threat to Phyllostegia hispida? Competition with non-native plants and feral pigs, goats and deer.
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