Kauaʻi record · kba_plant_sabdariffa_brackenridgei
Maʻo hau hele
Sabdariffa brackenridgei
Open this record in the interactive AtlasAbout 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.
Sources and further reading
- https://doi.org/10.5479/si.32124043
- https://naturalhistory2.si.edu/botany/hawaiianflora/speciesdescr.cfm?genus=Hibiscus&species=brackenridgei
- https://www.plantsofhawaii.org/detail/%7B04579F4E-93DB-4B52-B6BE-8DA7DD3DF05E%7D
- https://nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plants/hibiscus-brackenridgei-mokuleianus/
- https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77361079-1