What does ahinahina mean in Hawaiian?
very gray
The silversword is native to Hawaii and its Hawaiian name is Ahinahina which means “very gray”.
Why is ahinahina endangered?
Historically, ‘ahinahina populations were threatened by collection and vandalism, as well as trampling by goats and cattle and infestations by Argentine ants.
Is Silversword a succulent?
The Haleakala silversword, Argyroxiphium sandwicense subsp. macrocephalum, has numerous sword-like succulent leaves covered with silver hairs. Silversword plants in general grow on volcanic cinder, a dry, rocky substrate that is subject to freezing temperatures and high winds.
Where are silverswords found?
What is a Silversword Plant? The Hawaiian silversword– known by its Hawaiian name ‘ahinahina (“very grey”)– is an exceptionally rare and endangered plant unique to Haleakala on Maui and Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii.
What color is Ahinahina?
ColorsEdit
| Hawaiian | English |
|---|---|
| Ke’oke’o | White |
| Ahinahina | Grey |
| Oma’oma’o | Green |
| Palaunu/Maku’e | Brown |
What is unique about the Silversword plant?
Because silverswords grow at high elevations between 5,000 and 10,000 feet, they have thoroughly adapted to the harsh environment there. These plants, with very dense rosettes of spiky leaves that radiate out from the base, produce towering blooms that can reach up to six feet high.
How did the Silversword get to Hawaii?
The Silver Sword Alliance apparently evolved from an ancestral, self-pollinating, California tarweed that colonized these islands millions of years ago. Presumably the ancestral tarweed seeds reached the Hawaiian islands by drifting or rafting in the ocean currents.
How often do silverswords bloom?
Although silverswords can live for as long as 90 years, they only flower once, making the recent bloom of multiple plants a rare event indeed.
What is the Hawaiian name for rainbow?
ānuenue
The Hawaiian name for Rainbow is ānuenue*.
What time of year do silverswords bloom?
Summer
Summer is the prime time to observe an only-on-Maui botanical phenomenon: the blooming of the Haleakalā silverswords. These rare, endangered plants dot the sides of volcanic cinder cones, looking like pale green hedgehogs. They grow high up on Maui’s tallest summit — and nowhere else on Earth.
How did silverswords get to Hawaii?
Scientists believe that the entire silversword family probably descended from a member of the sunflower family, similar to Muir’s Tarweed, from California. The barbed fruit of this tarweed may have been carried to Hawai`i on the feathers of a bird.