Several thousand kilometres distant from the next continental land mass, the Hawaiian Archipelago is one of the most fascinating places on earth to "witness" evolution. Rare incidences of species arrivals and later differentiation into new species or subspecies are also characteristic for the alpine flora of Hawaii. There is comparatively poor species diversity, but there are also plants of outstanding appearance, including giant rosettes.

1 - Mauna Kea with its snow cap (4205 m). Foreground: A lava flow and shrub size Metrosideros polymorpha (Myrtaceae).

2 - The volcanic plateau around the Haleakala crater (2750 m).

3 - Metrosideros polymorpha (the "multi-statured", Myrtaceae), here as natural "bonsais" on fresh lava at 2700 m elevation on Mauna Loa.

4 - Tetramolopium alpinum (Asteraceae) (Haleakala, 2750 m). See also New Guinea.

5 - Agrostis trisetum - Deschampsia nubigena grassland with dwarf shrubs of Styphelia (Ericaceae), Vaccinium (Ericaceae), Geranium and Dubautia (Asteraceae) on Haleakala.

6, 7, 8 - Dubautia af. menziesii (Asteraceae) (3050 m). The genus Dubautia is one of the outstanding examples of evolution. Closely related species may differ a lot in appearance, but some easily hybridise, indicating young evolutionary age.

9, 10, 11 - Argyroxiphium sandwichense (Asteraceae), the "silverworth", Hawaii's giant rosette.

29 August 2011
© ALPECOLe 2002-2007