to the 30 species within the Silversword alliance. The Mauna Loa silversword is most closely related to the Mauna Kea Silversword. The Mauna Loa silversword is found 5000–8000 feet in elevation on volcanic cinder soil on Mauna Loa, an active volcano on the island of Hawaii. Habitat The Mauna Loa silversword grows in volcanic cinder soil. Volcanic soil tends to be high in inorganic nutrients and holds water well because of the volcanic ash content. Mauna Loa has an annual rainfall of 50 cm-80 cm (19.5 inches-31.2 inches), and an annual mean temperature of 11 oC (51.8 oF). At higher elevations, they are more likely to encounter frost. This is a constraining factor compared to lower elevations; trunks can grow taller at lower elevations. It can grow in moist areas, like wet ʻōhiʻa forests, and dry areas of smooth lava, which lie within shrubby ʻōhiʻa forests. Ecosystem Interactions Yellow-faced bees are the Mauna Loa silversword’s main pollinator. The bees are native to Hawaii and are threatened by predatory social insects like invasive argentine ants. There is a potential symbiotic relationship between Mauna Loa silverswords and sphagnum moss beds that grow near the plants. More seedlings were found within 2 meters (6.5 feet) of moss beds than outside the range in the Upper Waiākea population. The presence of the moss beds is important for germination, and seems necessary for the plant to survive in a bog habitat. Conservation The Mauna Loa silversword was listed under the Endangered Species Act as endangered wherever it is found on April 7, 1993. This was 18 years after a petition from the Smithsonian was filed in 1975. In 2003, the IUCN listed the species as critically endangered on their Red List. Population Size and Location, Past and Current Before being threatened, estimates were of “several thousand” Mauna Loa silverswords. They mostly lived in both wet ʻōhiʻa forests and in dry, shrubbier ʻōhiʻa forests on the slopes of Mauna Loa. Just prior to its listing, in 1990, there were about 400 plants. Currently, there are 3 wild populations of Mauna Loa Silversword found at locations in Kapāpala, Waiākea, and Kahuku, with a total population of 752 plants. They exist in a fraction of their former habitat that would have encircled the volcano. Additionally, there are an estimated 35,000 that have been outplanted into captivity at these locations. These outplanted silverswords have been observed bearing fruit when