Matthew Knope, lead principal investigator, is working to uncover the genetic changes responsible for rapid evolutionary diversification in Hawaiʻi and beyond.
The project aims to mitigate wildfire risks and restore ecosystems through increased seed supply of native (and non-invasive non-native) plant materials.
The patch of this rare plant is currently the only known population, numbering less than 80 adults and 20 seedlings in an area about the size of 10 football fields.