Dubautia plantaginea ranges in habit from a dwarf shrub (subsp. humilis G. Carr) to larger shrubs or small trees up to 7 m tall (subsp. plantaginea); the leaves are opposite. Diagnostic features of the species include somewhat congested, decompound, pyramidal flower clusters with pilose and usually glandular peduncles, oblong-oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate receptacular bracts 4-6.5 mm long, and pappus aristae very briefly fimbriate. Flowering occurs mostly from August to December in most forms but flowering specimens of ssp humilis have been collected in March and July.
This is the only species of the Hawaiian silversword alliance that is found on all six of the major islands of the archipelago (Kaua'i, O'ahu, Moloka'i, Lana'i, Maui, and Hawai'i). It occurs in mesic to wet forests and windswept ridges (subsp. plantaginea and subsp. magnifolia (Sherff) G. Carr) or on dripping cliff faces (subsp. humilis and subsp. magnifolia), at elevations ranging from about 300-2,100 m. The sites occupied by the species receive about 75-760 cm of annual precipitation.
Last Modification: April 21, 2006
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