Hawaii tree cotton

Kokia drynarioides, commonly known as Hawaiian Tree Cotton, is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that is endemic to the Big Island of Hawaii. It inhabits dry forests at elevations of 455–1,915 m . Associated plants include ??heahea , ?a?ali?i , hala pepe , wiliwili , uhiuhi , k?lea , ?aiea , kulu?? , ??la?a , ?ohe kukulu?e?o , m?mane , and maua . It is threatened by habitat loss and competition with invasive species, such as Fountain Grass .

The Hawaii tree cotton is one of four species in the genus Kokia and the only one found on the island of Hawaii. The sap of this incredibly rare tree has been used by native Hawaiians to make red dyes for fishnets and its bark was used to treat thrush. In the early 1900's, botanists became concerned about the survival of this species and collected several pounds of seed that was later distributed to various gardens and arboreta for germination. More