Sclerotheca raiateensis, commonly known as tiare apetahi and formerly known as Apetahia raiateensis, is a species of plant in the family Campanulaceae. It is a shrub native to the island of Raiatea in the Society Islands of French Polynesia.[1]
| Sclerotheca raiateensis | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Campanulaceae |
| Genus: | Sclerotheca |
| Species: | S. raiateensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Sclerotheca raiateensis (Baill.) Pillon & J.Florence[1]
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Apetahia raiateensis Baill. | |
Sclerotheca raiateensis in known only from the plateaus of Temehani Rahi and Temehani Ute Ute in the northern part of the island. It grows in a low montane scrub community unique to the plateaus, with Pterophylla vescoi, Metrosideros collina, Astronidium sp, and Alstonia costata, and an herb layer composed mostly of sedges (Cyperaceae) including Gahnia schoenoides and Machaerina bidwellii.[2]
The plant is known for its large fragrant flowers. It figures prominently in local culture and mythology.[3] It has been over-collected and attacked by introduced rats, and is now critically endangered.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c Sclerotheca raiateensis (Baill.) Pillon & J.Florence Plants of the World Online, Kew Science. Accessed 17 April 2023.
- ^ Hopkins, Helen C.F. and Florence, Jacques 1998. A revision of Weinmannia (Cunoniaceae) in Malesia and the Pacific. 4. The Society, Marquesas and Austral Islands. Adansonia Sér. 3, 20 (1) 1998.
- ^ Dodd, Edward H., Jr. (1976). Polynesia's Sacred Isle. Dodd, Mead & Company. p. 26.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Jacq, Frédéric & Meyer, Jean-Yves. (2012). Mortality rate and extinction causes of Apetahia raiateensis (Campanulaceae), an endemic plant to the island of Raiatea (French Polynesia). Revue d'Ecologie (La Terre et la Vie). 67. 57-72.