The Hawaiian Native Plant Genera page is a botanical reference site developed for educational use, particularly for Botany 661 (Hawaiian Vascular Plants) at UH Mānoa. It provides a searchable alphabetical list of native Hawaiian plant genera—both flowering and non-flowering—with links to detailed pages that feature scientific names, common names, and full-sized images. The database includes ferns, monocots, dicots, and fern allies, and connects learners with photographic and taxonomic records used in field botany and conservation work. All materials are provided for non-commercial educational use and are grounded in the foundational botanical texts of Hawaiʻi, such as Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaiʻi and Hawaiʻi’s Ferns and Fern Allies.
Explore genera by family and photograph: choose a plant group (e.g. Bidens, Metrosideros, Pritchardia) and trace its species-level diversity.
Practice plant ID using photos and common names to compare with local landscapes or garden walks.
Create genus profiles with a scientific name, common name(s), image, and Hawaiian cultural use.
Use the site for botany journaling—students select one genus and record sketches, habitat notes, and distinguishing features.
Build an herbarium-style field guide based on Carr’s layout and linked sample pages.
Native Hawaiian flora taxonomy
Ferns, monocots, dicots, and fern allies of Hawaiʻi
Scientific naming conventions
Adaptive radiation and endemism in isolated ecosystems
Ethnobotanical knowledge and naming
Visual botanical documentation and herbarium standards
