Dubautia plantaginea Gaudichaud

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

Each "thumbnail" image below is linked to a larger photograph.

	Subsp. plantaginea, Makua-Makaha Ridge, O'ahu
	Subsp. plantaginea, S of Pu'u Ka'ua, O'ahu
	Vegetative shrub, subsp. plantaginea (photo 1979, Mt. Ka'ala, O'ahu)
	Flowering shrub, subsp. plantaginea (photo 1976, Mauna Kapu, O'ahu)
	Vegetative shrub, subsp. plantaginea (photo 2002, Mauna Kapu, O'ahu)
	Pyramidal cluster of flowering heads, subsp. plantaginea (photo 1976, Mauna Kapu, O'ahu)
	Closer view of heads, subsp. plantaginea (photo 1976, Mauna Kapu, Oahu)
	Dwarf shrub on steep, wet cliff face, subsp. humilis (photo 1983, Black Gorge, W. Maui)
	Subsp. humilis grown in cultivation, note large heads in simple array (photo 1982)
	Subsp. humilis, these heads have more florets than those of subsp. plantaginea (photo 1981, Black Gorge, W. Maui)
	Dwarf form of subsp. magnifolia (photo 1987, Blue Hole, Kaua'i)
	Dwarf form of subsp. magnifolia (photo 1987, Blue Hole, Kaua'i)
	Dwarf form of subsp. magnifolia in cultivation (photo 1993)
	Dwarf form of subsp. magnifolia in cultivation (photo 1993)
	Dwarf form of subsp. magnifolia in cultivation (photo 1993)
	View of head of dwarf form of subsp. magnifolia, reddish pigmentation increases in aging heads (photo 1993, cultivated, Blue Hole, Kaua'i)

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