Chaminade University of Honolulu's nickname - the Silverswords - refers to flowering, perennial plants found only in the Aloha State. Here are some facts about the rare, beautiful and endangered silversword:

• The scientific name is Argyroxiphium sandwicense.
• In the Hawaiian language, the plant's name is 'ahinahina, meaning "very gray."
• Silverswords adapt to harsh environmental conditions at altitudes between 5,000 and 10,000 feet.
• They're found on the slopes of Haleakala on Maui and Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island.
• Silverswords have spiky, metallic-looking leaves that are a silvery light green color.
• Spectacular, towering blooms can reach up to six feet in length.
• Although the plants live as long as 50 years, they bloom only once and then die.
• Silverswords once grew in abundance but nearly became extinct due to animal grazing and souvenir taking.
• Climate change - including rising temperatures and reduced rainfall - adversely affects the plants, which now receive federal protection.
• To save the silverswords, botanists cross-pollinate plants, collect seeds and germinate them in greenhouses.
• Conservationists also install fencing to protect silverswords from animals and humans.