Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas

Kauaʻi record · kba_plant_sabdariffa_brackenridgei

Maʻo hau hele

Sabdariffa brackenridgei

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Botanical ecological plate for Maʻo hau hele (Sabdariffa brackenridgei).
Botanical ecological plate for Maʻo hau hele (Sabdariffa brackenridgei). · Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas · AI-generated reconstruction · Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas community media · Primary ecological plate v1.5.3; safe-area and visual review passed; botanical diagnostic review remains open · Image source

About Maʻo hau hele

Maʻo hau hele (Sabdariffa brackenridgei) is a tree; shrub recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.

Kauaʻi evidence

Accepted status, Kauaʻi occurrence, nativity, growth form, and names were audited against the 2026 Smithsonian checklist and linked habit source. Scientific synonyms: Hibiscus brackenridgei A. Gray; Hibiscus brackenridgei subsp. mokuleianus (M. J. Roe) D. M. Bates; Hibiscus brackenridgei var. mokuleianus M. J. Roe; Hibiscus brackenridgei subsp. molokaiana (Rock ex Caum) F. D. Wilson; Hibiscus brackenridgei var. molokaiana Rock ex Caum.

Names and classification

Scientific name
Sabdariffa brackenridgei
Common names
Native yellow hibiscus · Brackenridge's rosemallow
Hawaiian names
Mao hau hele · Aloalo
Other names
Sabdariffa brackenridgei · Mao hau hele · Native yellow hibiscus · Brackenridge's rosemallow · Aloalo · Hibiscus brackenridgei A. Gray · Hibiscus brackenridgei subsp. mokuleianus (M. J. Roe) D. M. Bates · Hibiscus brackenridgei var. mokuleianus M. J. Roe · Hibiscus brackenridgei subsp. molokaiana (Rock ex Caum) F. D. Wilson · Hibiscus brackenridgei var. molokaiana Rock ex Caum
Record type
Species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence
Recorded on Kauaʻi
Origin
Endemic
Conservation status
Smithsonian checklist assessment: Endangered; Extinct; U.S. status: Endangered
Evidence date
2026-10-05
Evidence limits
Island-level occurrence is retained; finer locality is intentionally withheld

Habitat and ecology

Habitats
Dry native forest · Dry native shrubland · Mesic native forest
Food and resource needs
Light, water, nutrients, and suitable habitat substrate
Reproduction
Viable flowers or seed and suitable establishment conditions; species-specific reproductive review remains open
Shelter
Suitable native vegetation structure and substrate
Growth form
Tree; Shrub

Threats and conservation

Threats
Species-specific threat review pending; no fine-location evidence is published in this card
Conservation actions
Protect native habitat and verify species-specific actions against current conservation sources
Monitoring
Taxonomic identity, population condition, recruitment, and locally documented pressures; exact locations withheld
Data gaps
Species-specific ecology and threat citations · Reproductive phenology · Fine-scale habitat information intentionally not published

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing
Not assessed
Seasonal description
Maʻo hau hele (Sabdariffa brackenridgei) is a tree; shrub recorded on Kauaʻi. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.

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