Cyanea acuminata
Cyanea acuminata is a rare species of flowering plant known by the common names Honolulu cyanea. It is endemic to Oahu, where there are no more than 250 individuals remaining.[1] It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States. Like other Cyanea it is known as haha in Hawaiian.[2]
| Cyanea acuminata | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Campanulaceae |
| Genus: | Cyanea |
| Species: | C. acuminata |
| Binomial name | |
| Cyanea acuminata | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Cyanea occultens | |
This Hawaiian lobelioid is a shrub up to 2 meters tall. It grows in wet forests and on slopes and ridges in the Koʻolau and Waiʻanae Mountains of Oahu.[1][3]
The remaining plants are divided among 18 subpopulations which are threatened by damage to their habitat from feral pigs and goats, rats, and exotic plants such as Maui pamakani (Ageratina adenophora), kukui (Aleurites moluccanus), and ti plant (Cordyline fruticosa). Other threats to the plant and its habitat include fire and trampling by military personnel. Botanists are hopeful that there are many more than 250 plants remaining in unsurveyed areas of the island.[3]
References
- Bruegmann, M. M. & V. Caraway. (2003). Cyanea acuminata. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2010. www.iucnredlist.org Archived June 27, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 24 February 2011.
- Hawaiian Native Plant Genera: Cyanea
- USFWS. Cyanea acuminata Five year Review. July 2009.