Kokia cookei

Kokia cookei
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Kokia
Species:
K. cookei
Binomial name
Kokia cookei

Kokia cookei is a small, deciduous tree commonly known as the kokiʻo, Molokaʻi treecotton, Cooke's kokiʻo, or Molokaʻi kokiʻo. It is about 3 m (9.8 ft) in height, with simple leaves of 5 to 7 lobes, and large flowers. The fruit that the plant produces is composed of a five-lobed capsule that is dry and covered with short, dense hairs. The Kokia follows the typical flowering plant life cycle. It was distributed in the lowlands of the Hawaiian islands prior to going extinct in 1978. Conservation efforts, such as cultivation, are in place to attempt to nurse the species back to health. It is suspected that the species played a major role in the ecosystem through pollination but it is not confirmed.