Cyanea heluensis
Names
- ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi: n/a
- Scientific: Cyanea heluensis
Conservation Status
-
Plant Extinction Prevention Program Target
Species Information
Cyanea heluensis is a rare plant that was found near West Maui. It was first encountered in 2010 and formally named in 2020 (Oppenheimer, 2020). Its flowers are long, white, and gently curved. Cyanea heluensis attracts bird pollinators with its orange fruit (Oppenheimer, 2020). Only one single plant was ever found, but Maui Plant Extinction Prevention Program, Olinda Rare Plant Facility staff, and Forestry and Wildlife have grown clones of it in the nursery and planted it back into the area where the plant was found.
Distribution
West Maui.
Habitat
Lowland wet forest with a nearly closed canopy of ‘õhi’a and other native trees.
Threats
- Rats
- Parasites
References & Additional Resources
Oppenheimer, Hank (20 November 2020). “A new species of Cyanea Gaud. (Lobelioideae, Campanulaceae) from Maui, Hawaiʻi”. PhytoKeys (167): 1–11. doi:10.3897/phytokeys.167.55107.
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