Mehamehame
Mehamehame
Names
- ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi: Mehamehame
- Scientific: Flueggea neowawraea
Conservation Status
- Federal and State Listed as Endangered
Species Information
Mehamehame, a member of Phyllanthaceae family, is a large tree up to 30 m (100 ft) tall and 2 m (7 ft) in diameter with white oblong pores covering its scaly, pale brown bark. The thin, papery, oval leaves are green on the upper surface and pale green on the lower surface. This species is usually dioecious (having separate male and female plants) with unisexual flowers lacking petals. The fleshy, round fruits, are reddish brown to black and contain two slightly curved seeds that are somewhat triangular in cross section (“Mehamehame (Flueggea Neowawraea),” n.d.).
Distribution
Mehamehame is found on Kaua’i, O’ahu, Moloka’i, Maui, and Hawai’i island.
Habitat
Dry to mesic forests
Threats
- Consumption by feral ungulates
- Competition from alien invasive plants
- Wildfire
- Small population size
- Damage from Xylosandrus compactus (black twig borer)
- Habitat destruction for agriculture
References & Additional Resources
“Mehamehame (Flueggea Neowawraea).” ECOS, https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/109.
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