This is the story of an endangered plant species, the Achyranthes splendens rotunda. This is a plant that we have not been able to find a Hawaiian name for. Although plants such as the wiliwili, ma'o, 'aheahea and 'ohai can be found in ancient chant and mele, the Achyranthes cannot be found. This is especially unusual since it appears to have been the most abundant plant next to the 'ilima, the golden color of which led British Capt. George Vancouver to identify the 'Ewa Plains as a "sea of gold."

We today have given this plant the name of the 'Ewa hinahina. So why isn't it referenced in the traditions if it was so abundant? Today it can be found only in three endangered species plant sanctuaries in Campbell Industrial Park. Nowhere else in these islands ... nowhere else in the world. A victim of the development of a new city.

The Achyranthes is a low coastal shrub growing to an average height of 3 feet. It is an extremely salt- and drought-tolerant plant with silvery leaves and spiky flowers. Its leaves have what seem to be traces of silvery hair that may be used to collect water on humid days. It does extremely well growing in close proximity to open sinkholes.

The Achyranthes grows very well from seeds and cuttings. It is on the federal list of endangered plants and thus requires the proper permits to be grown commercially. Such permits can be acquired from the state Department of Forestry and Wildlife.

The choices are difficult. The city is close to cleaning one of its plant sanctuaries. Island Recycling has been doing its best in an effort to care for the Achyranthes. Its numbers have been reduced to a level where it might be difficult for the plant to recover without major human intervention. As much as we would like for it to recover on its own, that might be a difficult task. Perhaps its last remaining days are not too far off in the distant future.

Maybe the reason we are interested in plants such as the Achyranthes is that they remind us of ourselves and our struggles and challenges. Maybe there are parallels here that can benefit us. What is it meant to teach us? What is the lesson learned? Maybe it is meant to help us find something within each of us that will help us see what once was — maybe the lesson is finding ourselves.

Kapolei resident Shad Kane is driven to save and restore a Hawaiian cultural history that is at risk of being lost. Read more of Kane's cultural essays about West Oahu at http://culturalkapolei.honadvblogs.com.