Visitors once gathered specimens of silversword as evidence that they had been up the mountain, even as the mountaineer gathers edelweiss in Switzerland. Thoughtless people uprooted the silvery globes merely to watch them tumble down the slopes. Goats eat the growing heart of the plant. Grazing stock are incompatible with its existence. It has many insect parasites (see [The Insect Life]). All of these, singly and in combination, threaten the existence of the species.
The outer slopes of the mountain had thousands of silverswords according to early accounts, while today they are rare. In the crater, some of the cones were so thickly covered that they appeared to be bathed in moonlight. Except for strong, enlightened action, this beautiful plant might have completely vanished from the mountain.
SUMMARY LISTS
The following are incomplete lists of plants reported at various places within the park. They may serve as the start or a check for those wishing to know something of the plants in a certain area. The names given are those most commonly used locally or those used to head the corresponding sections above.
COMMONEST SHRUBS ALONG THE HIGHWAY above Headquarters. Sandalwood, mamane, geranium (N. tridens), aalii, ohia, ohelo, pukiawe, mountain pilo, kupaoa.
WIDESPREAD below 8,500 feet. Stereocaulon lichen (mostly on barren lava), pellucid polypody, maidenhair spleenwort, cliffbrake, swordfern, bracken, sedge (Gahnia), sheep sorrel or dock; ulei, mamane, aalii, tarweed, ohia, evening primrose, ohelo, pukiawe, selfheal, plantain, kukaenene, mountain pilo, kupaoa, pamakani, hairy cat’s-ear, horseweed.
SUMMIT FLORA (above 8,500 feet). Mountain pili (grass), trailing pukiawe, tetramalopium sp., kupaoa, common dandelion.
CRATER FLOOR on ash or barren lava. Mountain pili, sheep sorrel, ulei, mamane, bur clover, white clover, cranesbill, aalii, tarweed, ohia, evening primrose, ohelo, pukiawe, selfheal, common plantain, kukaenene, mountain pilo, catchfly, kupaoa, pamakani, hairy cat’s-ear, Canadian horseweed, Tetramalopium humile, silversword.
KOOLAU GAP. Amaumau, rush, mauulaili, tree orchid, sandalwood, pawale, Hawaiian buttercup, trailing akala, native strawberry, nohoanu, apeape, highbush ohelo, trailing plantain, lobelia, wormwood, trailing kookoolau, greensword.
PALIKU. Amaumau, ekaha, akaha akolea, twayblade, alaalawainui, hoawa, akala, kawau, olapa, kolea, manono, lobelia, naenae.