Brighamia rockii

Brighamia rockii, known as the Molokai ohaha or Pua ʻala in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family, Campanulaceae, that is endemic to the island of Molokaʻi in Hawaii. Pua ʻala inhabits mesic shrublands and forests on rocky cliffs from sea level to 470 m (1,540 ft) on the island's northern windward coast. Associated plants include ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), alaheʻe (Psydrax odorata), lama (Diospyros sandwicensis), ʻūlei (Osteomeles anthyllidifolia), and naupaka (Scaevola gaudichaudii).

Pua ʻala

Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Campanulaceae
Genus: Brighamia
Species:
B. rockii
Binomial name
Brighamia rockii

Pua ʻala reaches a height of 1–5 m (3.3–16.4 ft) and has a succulent, trunk-like stem that tapers from the base. The oval-shaped leaves are 6–22 cm (2.4–8.7 in) long and 1–15 cm (0.39–5.91 in) wide and form a rosette on the top of the plant.[2] Each inflorescence contains three to eight trumpet-shaped white flowers.[3]

Conservation

Pua ʻala has been extirpated from the islands of Lānaʻi and Maui. Threats to its survival include habitat loss, competition with alien plants, predation by goats and deer, and a lack of pollinators.[2]

There are five occurrences of the plant remaining in the wild, with a total estimated population of fewer than 200.[4] It is federally listed as an endangered species. It is now pollinated by the introduced hawk moth Daphnis nerii.

Some individuals have been cultivated and planted in the habitat.[5]

References
  1. Bruegmann, M.M. & Caraway, V. 2003. Brighamia rockii. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Archived June 27, 2014, at the Wayback Machine Downloaded on 20 August 2007.
  2. "Brighamia rockii". CPC National Collection Plant Profiles. Center for Plant Conservation. 2008-07-22. Archived from the original on 2010-10-28. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
  3. "Brighamia rockii". Hawaiian Native Plant Propagation Database. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
  4. The Nature Conservancy
  5. USFWS. Brighamia rockii Five Year Review. January 18, 2008.


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