Ka palupalu o Kanaloa (Kanaloa kahoolawensis)

Photo courtesy of Linda Tesar Amimoto

Hawaiian name: Ka palupalu o Kanaloa
Botanical name: Kanaloa kahoolawensis
Family: Fabaceae (Pea Family)
Status: Endemic, Endangered
Where found: Kaho‘olawe
Elevation range: 0 to 1,000 feet
Height: 2 to 6 feet

Ka palupalu o Kanaloa was unknown to science until its discovery in 1992, on a steep rocky cliff on the coast of Kaho‘olawe. National Tropical Botanical Garden botanists found the only two specimens of this plant ever observed growing in the wild. While Ka palupalu o Kanaloa was found only on Kaho‘olawe, pollen records suggest that this species may have formally grown on O‘ahu, Maui, and Kaua‘i. Introduced rodents are suspected to have played a role in the demise of this highly endangered species. The name, Ka palupalu o Kanaloa (the gentleness of Kanaloa), was assigned by the late Parley Kanaka‘ole. Kanaloa refers to the Hawaiian god of the ocean, sea animals, and fresh water. The island of Kaho'olawe is the sacred form (and refuge of the life force) of Kanaloa. The island and the god are, therefore, considered to be one and the same.