Cyanea shipmanii
Encyclopedia
Cyanea shipmanii is a rare species of flowering plant in the bellflower family
known by the common name Shipman's cyanea. It is endemic to the island of Hawaii
, where it is known only from the slopes of Mauna Loa
and Mauna Kea
. It is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States. Like other Cyanea
it is known as haha in Hawaiian
.
This plant has been declining steadily since 1994 when there were fewer than 50 individuals left, all growing on the side of Mauna Kea. By 2002 more occurrences were known but the total global population was only 12 plants. By 2007 there were two wild plants. Some seedling
s have been grown in nurseries, but only 37% have survived when planted in habitat.
This Hawaiian lobelioid
is a shrub
which can reach four meters in height. The leaves are deeply divided and subdivided with many tiny lobes, resembling the leaves of fern
s. The inflorescence
bears greenish white flowers. The natural habitat of the plant is composed of moist forest on volcanic soils. The plant has been driven toward extinction by degradation of its habitat from exotic plant species
and feral pigs.
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 Shipman's cyanea. It is endemic to the island of Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
, where it is known only from the slopes of Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean, and the largest on Earth in terms of volume and area covered. It is an active shield volcano, with a volume estimated at approximately , although its peak is about lower than that...
and Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea is a volcano on the island of Hawaii. Standing above sea level, its peak is the highest point in the state of Hawaii. However, much of the mountain is under water; when measured from its oceanic base, Mauna Kea is over tall—significantly taller than Mount Everest...
. It is a federally listed 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. Like other Cyanea
Cyanea (plant)
Cyanea is a genus of lobelioid plants endemic to Hawaii. It contains more than 50 species, ranging in size from shrubs like C. eleeleensis to tall palm-like trees over 10 meters tall such as C. leptostegia...
it is known as haha in Hawaiian
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
.
This plant has been declining steadily since 1994 when there were fewer than 50 individuals left, all growing on the side of Mauna Kea. By 2002 more occurrences were known but the total global population was only 12 plants. By 2007 there were two wild plants. Some seedling
Seedling
thumb|Monocot and dicot seedlingsA seedling is a young plant sporophyte developing out of a plant embryo from a seed. Seedling development starts with germination of the seed. A typical young seedling consists of three main parts: the radicle , the hypocotyl , and the cotyledons...
s have been grown in nurseries, but only 37% have survived when planted in habitat.
This Hawaiian lobelioid
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...
is a shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
which can reach four meters in height. The leaves are deeply divided and subdivided with many tiny lobes, resembling the leaves of fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
bears greenish white flowers. The natural habitat of the plant is composed of moist forest on volcanic soils. The plant has been driven toward extinction by degradation of its habitat from exotic plant species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
and feral pigs.