Flora Endangered flora

There are 42 plants endemic to Rodrigues and, of these, seven are down to two or three specimens each. These include the Rodrigues hibiscus, saved from extinction after specimens were located in faraway collections. This was done after only two were found to remain on Rodrigues itself. One of the world's rarest plants, 'Cafe Marron' (Ramosmania heterophylla), is Rodriguan. A lone specimen remains on the island, just off the road near Citronelle. It is crudely fenced in, to protect it from goats. In 1986 cuttings were sent to Kew, where one took root. Many of the island's indigenous plants are shared with the other Mascarenes, where they are usually more numerous. Two such orchids are Angraecum Mauritiaum and the much smaller Apectinactum, which lacks the long spur common to many Angraeicod orchids. A threated liana distributed throughout the Mascarenes, Liane savanna has tiny star-shaped blooms.

The critically endangered shrub, Bois d'ortie obetia ficifolia is shared only with Reunion where it is known to be pollinated by a single, endangered species of butterfly. Another rare shrub shared with the other Mascarenes is the Bois de chennile, which bears small clusters of white flowers. The hardwood Boise jaune tree, more common on the other Mascarenes, bears white flowers reminiscent of - but smaller than - those of the frangipian.