|
Mauna Kea Silversword
''Argyroxiphium sandwicense'' subsp. ''sandwicense'', the Mauna Kea silversword, is a highly endangered flowering plant endemic to the island of Hawaiʻi (''Big Island'') of Hawaii. It is the "crown jewel" of the volcanic mountain Mauna Kea, from which it derives its English name. The Hawaiian name is ''ahinahina''; it applies to silverswords more broadly. The Mauna Kea silversword was once common on the volcano, and extraordinary conservation efforts are being made to preserve the species. Silverswords – ''Argyroxiphium'' Closely related to the Haleakala silversword (''Argyroxiphium sandwicense'' subsp. ''macrocephalum'') and in the family Asteraceae, the Mauna Kea silversword is a member of the silversword alliance, a group of approximately 50 species in three genera, all endemic to the Hawaiian islands. Their diverse morphologies belie extremely close genetic kinship and suggest extremely rapid evolution from a single precursor species. The silversword alliance is consid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea ( or ; ; abbreviation for ''Mauna a Wākea''); is a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii. Its peak is above sea level, making it the highest point in the state of Hawaii and second-highest peak of an island on Earth. The peak is about higher than Mauna Loa, its more massive neighbor. Mauna Kea is unusually topographically prominent for its height: its wet prominence is fifteenth in the world among mountains, at ; its dry prominence of is second in the world, only after Mount Everest This dry prominence is greater than Mount Everest's height above sea level of , and some authorities have labelled Mauna Kea the tallest mountain in the world, from its underwater base. It is about one million years old and thus passed the most active shield stage of life hundreds of thousands of years ago. In its current post-shield state, its lava is more viscous, resulting in a steeper profile. Late volcanism has also given it a much rougher appearance than its neighbori ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
