EXTINCT FLOWER
Hibiscadelphus wilderianus

ORIGIN
Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, more specifically to the island of Molokai, where it populated the understories of these tropical forests with its glossy leaves and striking red flowers.

PLANT RELATIVES
Belonging to the subsect genus Hibiscadelphus within the family Malvaceae, it is distantly related to various hibiscus species found around the world.

EXTINCTION
Due to deforestation – along with Hawaii’s ongoing challenges to protect its native flora from human activity and nonnative plant species – this flower was last recorded in 1912, on the Hawaiian Southern Slope.