Trematolobelia singularis
Encyclopedia
Trematolobelia singularis is a rare species of flowering plant in the bellflower family
. It is endemic to Hawaii
, where it is known only from the Koʻolau Range on the island of Oahu
. It is threatened by the degradation of its habitat. It is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States.
This Hawaiian lobelioid is a shrub
with an unbranched stem growing up to 1.5 meters tall. The leaves are long and narrow, measuring up to 18 centimeters long by 1.8 wide. The tubular flower has violet petals up to 5 centimeters long that flare open at the mouth of the tube. The fruit is a rounded capsule containing seeds which are dispersed
on the wind. The plant grows in wet, windy habitat on high ridges in the Koʻolau Mountains.
As of 2009 there were four populations of this plant totalling about 133 mature adults and at least 50 juveniles. Threats to these plants and their habitat include feral pigs, rat
s, slug
s, and human disturbance. They face competition from introduced species
of plants such as Koster's curse
(Clidemia hirta).
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...
. It is endemic to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, where it is known only from the Koʻolau Range on the island of 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...
. It is threatened by the degradation of its habitat. 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.
This Hawaiian lobelioid 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...
with an unbranched stem growing up to 1.5 meters tall. The leaves are long and narrow, measuring up to 18 centimeters long by 1.8 wide. The tubular flower has violet petals up to 5 centimeters long that flare open at the mouth of the tube. The fruit is a rounded capsule containing seeds which are dispersed
Seed dispersal
Seed dispersal is the movement or transport of seeds away from the parent plant. Plants have limited mobility and consequently rely upon a variety of dispersal vectors to transport their propagules, including both abiotic and biotic vectors. Seeds can be dispersed away from the parent plant...
on the wind. The plant grows in wet, windy habitat on high ridges in the Koʻolau Mountains.
As of 2009 there were four populations of this plant totalling about 133 mature adults and at least 50 juveniles. Threats to these plants and their habitat include feral pigs, rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
s, slug
Slug
Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...
s, and human disturbance. They face competition from introduced 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...
of plants such as Koster's curse
Clidemia hirta
Clidemia hirta, commonly called soapbush or Koster's Curse, is a perennial shrub.It is an invasive plant species in many tropical regions of the world, creating serious damage.-Distribution:...
(Clidemia hirta).