Clermontia oblongifolia
Encyclopedia
Clermontia oblongifolia is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family
known by the common name Oahu clermontia. It is one of several Hawaiian lobelioids
in genus Clermontia that are known as oha wai. This plant is native to three of the Hawaiian Islands
, where one subspecies is not uncommon but the other two are very rare and endangered.
The more common subspecies, ssp. oblongifolia, is endemic to Oahu
, where it grows in rainforests.
The rare subspecies mauiensis is endemic to Maui
, where there is only a single plant remaining in the montane wet forests. It has been extirpated
from Lānai
. This subspecies is federally listed as an endangered species
of the United States.
The rare subspecies brevipes is endemic to Molokai
, where there are fewer than 30 plants remaining. This subspecies is federally listed as an endangered species
of the United States.
Campanulaceae
The family Campanulaceae , of the order Asterales, contains about 2000 species in 70 genera of herbaceous plants, shrubs, and rarely small trees, often with milky non-toxic sap...
known by the common name Oahu clermontia. It is one of several Hawaiian lobelioids
Hawaiian lobelioids
The Hawaiian lobelioids are a group of flowering plants in the bellflower family, Campanulaceae, all of which are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. This is the largest plant radiation in the Hawaiian Islands, and indeed the largest on any island archipelago, with over 125 species...
in genus Clermontia that are known as oha wai. This plant is native to three of the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
, where one subspecies is not uncommon but the other two are very rare and endangered.
The more common subspecies, ssp. oblongifolia, is endemic to Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, where it grows in rainforests.
The rare subspecies mauiensis is endemic to Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
, where there is only a single plant remaining in the montane wet forests. It has been extirpated
Local extinction
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, is the condition of a species which ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere...
from Lānai
Lanai
Lānai or Lanai is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is also known as the Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple plantation. The only town is Lānai City, a small settlement....
. This subspecies is federally listed as an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of the United States.
The rare subspecies brevipes is endemic to Molokai
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
, where there are fewer than 30 plants remaining. This subspecies is federally listed as an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of the United States.