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
Mauna Kea State Recreation Area. A band of ranch land on Mauna Kea's lower slopes was formerly "Acacia koa" – "Metrosideros polymorpha" (koa-ōhia) forest. Its destruction was driven by an influx of European and American settlers in the early 19th century, as extensive logging during the 1830s provided lumber for new homes. Vast swathes of the forest were burned and cleared for sugarcane plantations. Most of the houses on the island were built of koa, and those parts of the forest that survived became a source for firewood to power boilers on the sugarcane plantations and to heat homes. The once vast