Silversword, now considered rare and endangered, is one of thousands of plant species collected by the U.S. Exploring Expedition. Native Hawaiians called it "`ahinahina," meaning gray or shining, and used the tough fibers to make ropes. The plant flowers after 40-50 years and then dies.
.S. National Herbarium, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Silversword in bloom
Photograph by Warren L. Wagner
Botanical specimen, Argyroxiphium Sandwicense DC (Silversword)
Extending the Boundaries of Science
The U.S. Exploring Expedition included experts in geology, natural history, botany, horticulture, linguistics, and zoology, as well as visual artists. They collected tens of thousands of specimens, which—along with their scientific illustrations, observations, and data—formed an exhaustive body of information about Pacific islands and peoples. Congress authorized publication of a multi-volume report of the findings, and the expedition’s artifacts and specimens established or enhanced the holdings of the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Botanic Garden, and other major research institutions.
Silversword, now considered rare and endangered, is one of thousands of plant species collected by the U.S. Exploring Expedition. Native Hawaiians called it "`ahinahina," meaning gray or shining, and used the tough fibers to make ropes. The plant flowers after 40-50 years and then dies.
.S. National Herbarium, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Silversword in bloom
Photograph by Warren L. Wagner
