Habitat of Yakushima Kawagoromo

A River Plant Found Only on Yakushima

The Habitat of Yakushima Kawagoromo (ヤクシマカワゴロモ生育地) is the habitat of Yakushima kawagoromo, a river plant of the Podostemaceae, in Yakushima Town, Kumage District, Kagoshima Prefecture, which in 2010 was designated a Natural Monument.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs lists it under the criteria for areas with rare aquatic plants, algae, mosses or micro-organisms, and for notable limits of plant distribution.

The Kagoshima Prefectural Museum explains that the plant is endemic, growing only in the Isso River and its tributary the Shirakawa on Yakushima.

Ecology

According to the prefectural museum, other plants of the family grow mainly on welded tuff bedrock, but this one grows on granite boulders.

The surroundings are almost entirely forest, and the river environment remains in good condition.

What to Look For

Growing attached to boulders in the rivers of granite Yakushima is what sets it apart from its relatives.

The Agency's record includes a photograph of the habitat in the upper Shirakawa.

Visiting the Habitat of Yakushima Kawagoromo

The habitat lies within the rivers, and no official visitor information could be found.

As a Natural Monument, the plants must not be collected and the stones they grow on must not be moved. The prefectural museum directs questions about current conditions to the owners or managers.