Ama’u
Ama’u
Names
- ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi: Ama’u
- Scientific: Sadleria pallida
Conservation Status
- NatureServe Heritage Rank G3 – Vulnerable
Species Information
Ama’u is endemic to Hawai’i and is part of the Blechnaceae family. The fronds grow up to about 1 m (3.5 ft) long. It is a terrestrial, medium-sized fern with rhizomes decumbent to erect, up to 4 m long, branching.
Distribution
Ama’u is found on Kaua’i, O’ahu, Moloka’i, Maui, and Hawai’i.
Habitat
Ama’u grows in recent lava flows, closed-canopy wet forests, or on open, rainy, windswept ridges.
Threats
- Competition with alien invasive species
- Trampling and consumption by feral ungulates
References & Additional Resources
“Sadleria Pallida.” Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – The University of Texas at Austin, https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SAPA11.