About Viola kauaensis A.Gray
Viola kauaensis, also known by the scientific name Viola kauaensis A.Gray, is a rare species of flowering plant in the violet family. Its common names are Kauai violet and pohe hiwa. This species is endemic to Hawaii, and it can only be found on the islands of Kauai and Oahu. On Kauai, this plant grows in bogs, while on Oahu it grows in wet mountain habitat in the Koʻolau Range. There are three recognized varieties of Viola kauaensis. Viola kauaensis var. kauaensis occurs in bogs and cloud forests in northwestern Kauai. Viola kauaensis var wahiawaensis, which also goes by the name nani waialeale, is distributed on Kauai. As of 2003, this variety had just two populations with a total of only 13 individual plants. Viola kauaensis var. hosakae is a rare variety that grows on Oahu.
