Achyranthes splendens is a small shrub 0.5-2 m tall, stems and leaves densely silver-hairy. Leaves opposite, broadly elliptic or suborbicular, covered with white hairs, especially on the lower surface. Flowers in terminal elongate spikes 3-25 cm long of small downward-pointing flowers, spikes becoming pendent with age. Flowers with 5 sepals 6.5-10.5 mm long, with smooth-backed bracteoles 3.5-5.3 mm long.
There are 2 varieties recognized in Wagner (1990); Variety splendens with shorter sepals, 6.5-8(-9) mm long and bracteoles 3.5-5 mm long (O’ahu, Moloka’i, Lana’i), and variety rotundata with longer sepals, (8-)9-10.5 mm long and bracteoles 4.5-5.3 mm long (Lana’i, Maui)
Achyranthes splendens var. rotundata is a federally listed endangered species.
(Wagner et al. 1990; Staples & Herbst 2005).
Geographic Range: endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It grows at low elevations, generally from sea level to 100 feet, in open dry areas on rocky soil or coralline plains. It is currently known to grow along the western coast of O'ahu, on the Kalaupapa peninsula on Maui, near Manele and Maunalei Gulch on Lana'i, in West Maui, and near Kula on East Maui.
Subspecies splendens is considered rare; subspecies rotundata is federally listed as Endangered (E).
We currently have 15 herbarium specimens for Achyranthes splendens in our collection. Click on any specimen below to view the herbarium sheet data.
