A rare plant found only in the wet forests of eastern Moloka'i — known only by its scientific name Phyllostegia hispida — yesterday was designated an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"Now that this rare plant species is protected by both federal and state laws, it is our hope that it will come to the forefront of public attention along with Hawai'i's other numerous endangered plants," said Patrick Leonard, field supervisor for the Fish and Wildlife Service's Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office.

Phyllostegia hispida, a vine, has rarely been seen in the wild, according to the fish and wildlife service. From 1910 to 1996, a total of 10 were recorded, but died in subsequent years. Since 1997, surveys failed to locate additional plants and the species was thought to be extirpated until 2005, when two seedlings were discovered at The Nature Conservancy's Kamakou Preserve.

Since 2007, 24 wild plants have been discovered (23 in the Kamakou Preserve, one in the state's Pu'u Ali'i Natural Area Reserve), and more than 100 individuals produced from cuttings have been outplanted in the Kamakou Preserve. A total of 238 plants are known to exist today.