Mezoneuron kauaiense
Mezoneuron kauaiense is a rare shrub or small tree in the genus Mezoneuron, that is endemic to Hawaii. Common names include uhiuhi, kāwau, and kea. It is threatened by invasive species, particularly feral ungulates.
Description
Mezoneuron kauaiense is a shrub or small tree that reaches a height of. The bark is dark grey and made up of rectangular or oblong platelets. The pinnate leaves are composed of 4 to 8 leaflets, each around in length. The Plant sexuality#Individual reproductive unit (a [flower in angiosperms)|bisexual] flowers have pink to rose sepals and red anthers. They form on pink to red terminal racemes in length. The flat, thin seed pods are long, wide, and contain 2 to 4 oval-shaped seeds. Blooming takes place from December to March.Habitat
Uhiuhi inhabits Hawaiian [tropical dry forests|dry], coastal mesic, and mixed mesic forests at elevations of. Associated plants include lama, aalii, and alahee. Populations formerly existed on Kauai, West [Maui Mountains|West Maui], Lānai, the Big Island, and Oahu, but are only found in the latter two today.Uses
The wood of M. kauaiense is very dense and hard, nearly black, and close-grained. Native Hawaiians used it to make ōō, ihe, laau melomelo, pou, runners for papa hōlua, pāhoa, laau palau, and laau kahi wauke. The rose-colored flowers are collected to make lei. A blood purifier was made from the young leaves, leaf buds, and bark of uhiuhi mashed together with the inner bark of hāpuu, okolehao, ulu bark, uhaloa taproots, and ko kea.Conservation
The plant is very rare today, with fewer than 100 individuals remaining in the wild, with some estimates at fewer than 50 plants. It does not reproduce very successfully, having a low level of recruitment. The plant's habitat has been degraded or destroyed by development, agriculture, and fire, and invaded by exotic species of plants and animals. The invasive fountaingrass is particularly harmful to the habitat, covering whole fields and increasing the danger of fire. The seeds are eaten by rats, and cattle and goats graze in the area. An insect, the black coffee twig borer, damages the seedlings and saplings. Since the wood is so highly sought after, the trees are still in danger of being harvested. The population on the Big Island grows on the side of Hualālai, a dormant volcano, and so is technically in danger of being extirpated in the event of an eruption.The plant was federally listed as an endangered species of the United States in 1986.