How this plant is pollinated is not known. Even though there are very few individuals surviving, the carnation can avoid inbreeding, a problem that threatens fellow Nihoan plant Amaranthus brownii, because this carnation has the highest genetic diversity of its genus.
The method of pollination for this plant is unclear. Even with few surviving individuals, the carnation manages to prevent inbreeding, an issue that affects Amaranthus brownii, another Nihoan plant, because it has the highest genetic variation among its species.