Nothocestrum breviflorum remaining. Nothocestrum breviflorum Nothocestrum breviflorum, commonly known as smallflower aiea, is a species of tree in the nightshade family, Solanaceae, that is endemic to the island of Hawaii. It inhabits dry and mixed mesic forests at elevations of . These forests are dominated by ōhia lehua ("Metrosideros polymorpha") and koa ("Acacia koa") or lama ("Diospyros sandwicensis"), while plants associated with smallflower aiea include wiliwili ("Erythrina sandwicensis") and uhiuhi ("Caesalpinia kavaiensis"). "N. breviflorum" reaches a height of . It is threatened by habitat loss. It is federally listed as an endangered species of the United States. There are fewer than 50
Acacia koa confirmed this close relationship; the estimated time of divergence is about 1.4 million years ago. "A. heterophylla" sequences nest within those of the more diverse "A. koa", making the latter paraphyletic. Both species are thought to be descended from an ancestral species in Australia, presumably their sister species, "Acacia melanoxylon". Dispersals most likely occurred via seed-carrying by birds such as petrels. Both species have very similar ecological niches, which differ from that of "A. melanoxylon". A closely related species, koaia or koaie ("A. koaia"), is found in dry areas. It is most easily distinguished by having smaller seeds that are