Image 47 of 183
Date: 6/19/06 6:28 AM
This is called an Alula plant. Once found only on a few cliffs on the islands of Kauai and Niihau, the Brighamia insignis owes its very survival to some extremely dedicated botanists. The natural pollinator of the alula has, like many Hawaiian species, become extinct, thus hampering its ability to reproduce. When the numbers of wild alula began decreasing, botanists in Hawaii started rappelling down the steep cliffs to hand-pollinate the last remaining plants. Later, they returned to collect the seeds that would later be grown in a greenhouse. The work of these botanists was a huge success. Today, the "cabbage on a stick" plant can be found around the world at many plant conservatories and is even available in mail order catalogs.