Tag Archives: Campanulaceae

Cyanea copelandii ssp. copelandii Rock

Copeland’s Cyanea (Cyanea copelandii ssp. copelandii)

Copeland’s Cyanea is an epiphytic species that once inhabited the rainforests of at least two of the Hawai’i Islands, namely Hawai’i and Maui, with its own endemic subspecies on each of the islands.

The nominate form once occurred on the southeastern slopes of Mauna Loa in Hawai’i, where it was last found in 1957. It is now considered extinct.

The Maui Island subspecies, Cyanea copelandii ssp. haleakalaensis (H. St. John) Lammers, is itself threatened with extinction.

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syn. Cyanea crispihirta E. Wimm., Delissea crispihirta (E. Wimm.) H. St. John

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Photo from: ‘Joseph F. Rock: A monographic study of the Hawaiian species of the tribe Lobelioideae, Family Campanulaceae. Memoirs of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum of Polynesian Ethnology and Natural History 7: 1-394. 1918’

(public domain)

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edited: 27.04.2012

Cyanea comata Hillebr.

Maui Cyanea (Cyanea comata)

This species is only known from the type collection, which dates back to 1870.

The Maui Cyanea grew in the semi-arid forests of the western slopes of Haleakalā Crater on the eastern part of the island of Maui, Hawaiian Islands.

The species reached a height of around 2.5 m, it had a tuftof 15 to 20.5 cm long leaves and had a hanging inflorescence with around 5 cm long, light purple-colored flowers.

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syn. Delissea comata (Hillebr.) H. St. John

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edited: 28.06.2012

Clermontia multiflora Hillebr.

Many-flowered Clermontia (Clermontia multiflora)

The Many-flowered Clermontia occurred in the Waihe’e Valley in western Maui and in the Ko’olau Mauntains on O’ahu, Hawaiian Islands.

The species was a multi-branched shrub and reached sizes of 2 to 4 m.

The Many-flowered Clermontia is apparently known exclusively from specimens that had been collected in 1870 and, as it was never found since, is considered extinct.

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edited: 20.03.2018

Wahlenbergia roxburghii A. DC.

Roxbourgh’s Bellflower (Wahlenbergia roxburghii)

Roxbourgh’s Bellflower was described in 1830, it was endemic to the island of Saint Helena in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. A second form, described in 1839 as Wahlenbergia burchellii A. DC. was recently synonymized with it.

The species was a sparsely branched shrub reaching heigths of 60 to 90 cm, the leaves were 8 to 14 cm long and 2 to 3,5 cm wide, the white, bell-shaped flowers appeared in terminal inflorescences.

Roxbourgh’s Bellflower was last seen in 1873 respectively in 1877 (as Wahlenbergia burchellii A. DC.) and is now extinct.

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Depiction from: ‘John Charles Meliss: St. Helena: A Physical, Historical, and Topographical Description of the Island, including its Geology, Fauna, Flora, and Meteorology. London: L. Reeve & Co. 1875’

(public domain)

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edited: 13.09.2020

Cyanea linearifolia Rock

Linear-leaved Cyanea (Cyanea linearifolia)

The Linear-leaved Cyanea is known only from the type collection collected in the Wahi’awa Mountains on the island of Kaua’i, Hawaiian Islands, as well as three additional collections which lack any data.

The species is thus considered extinct.

However, the species was thought to have been rediscovered in 1991 in northern Kaua’i, but these plants turned out to represent a new species and were named as Kuhihewa Cyanea (Cyanea kuhihewa Lammers). [1]

The Linear-leaved Cyanea is still considered extinct.

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References:

[1] Thomas G. Lammers: A new linear-leaved Cyanea (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae) from Kaua’i, and the “rediscovery” of Cyanea linearifolia. Brittonia 48(2): 237-240. 1996

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edited: 03.04.2018

Delissea niihauensis H. St. John

Niihau Delissea (Delissea niihauensis)

The Niihau Delissea was endemic to the island of Ni’ihau, Hawaiian Islands.

The species is apparently only known from some specimens collected in the 19th century, it wasn’t seen since the late 1870s and is now extinct.

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edited: 04.04.2018

Cyanea kolekoleensis (H. St. John) Lammers

Wahiawa Cyanea (Cyanea kolekoleensis)

The Wahiawa Cyanea was endemic to the island of Kaua’i, Hawaiian Islands, where it was restricted to the Wahiawa Mountains in the southern part of the island.

The last specimens of the species, found in a gulch to the northeast of Hulua Peak in 1996, were monitored by biologists – unfortunately without any success.

The Wahiawa Cyanea is now considered extinct. [1]

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References:

[1] Kenneth R. Wood: Possible Extinctions, Rediscoveries, and New Plant Records within the Hawaiian Islands. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2011. Edited by Neal L. Evenhuis & Lucius G. Eldredge. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 113: 91-102. 2012

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edited: 23.03.2018

Cyanea habenata (H. St. John) Lammers

Stream Bed Cyanea (Cyanea habenata)

The Stream Bed Cyanea was described based on the type specimen which was collected in 1978 at the Limahuli Valley on Kaua’i, Hawaiian Islands.

The species was never found again since and is considered possibly extinct.

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edited: 18.04.2019

Delissea fallax Hillebr.

Deceptive Delissea (Delissea fallax)

This species, described in 1888, was restricted to few small populations on the windward slopes of Mauna Kea in northern Hawai’i, Hawaiian Islands.

The species was last collected sometimes prior to 1872. [1]

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References:

[1] Thomas G. Lammers: Revision of Delissea (Campanulaceae-Lobelioideae). Systematic botany Monographs 73: 1-75. 2005

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edited: 18.04.2019

Delissea laciniata Hillebr.

Torn-leaved Delissea (Delissea laciniata)

The Torn-leaved Delissea was endemic to a place named Wailupe in the Ko’olau Mounatins of O’ahu, Hawaiian Islands.

The species disappeared due to habitat loss caused by cattle farmers that destroyed whole forests for the benefit of their business.

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edited: 21.03.2018

Cyanea quercifolia (Hillebr.) E. Wimm.

Oak-leaved Cyanea (Cyanea quercifolia)

The Oak-leaved Cyanea was described in 1888 as a variety of another species, the Solanum-like Cyanea (Cyanea solanacea Hillebr.).

The species is apparently known only from the type collection that was obtained in 1870 [?] somewhere between 915 m and 1220 m on the western slopes of Haleakala volcano in the eastern part of Maui, Hawaiian Islands.

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edited: 04.04.2018

Cyanea pohaku Lammers

Haleakala Cyanea (Cyanea pohaku)

This species occurred at the Pu’unianiau peak at the northwestern slopes of the Haleakala volcano on the island of Maui, Hawaiian Islands.

The discoverer and author of the species wrote about it.:

“Today certain species have survived in a particular locality, from which they cannot spread, as they are surrounded by grazing animals which devour eagerly any germinating plant, thus precluding the establishment of a progeny, and they are thus doomed to extinction. Clermontia Haleakalensis [Cyanea pohaku], for example, has already disappeared. A few years ago three healthy trees existed of this species. It is true they were surrounded by their enemies, the cattle, which browsed on their lowest branches and trampled under foot or devoured any seedling which might have dared show its cotyledons above ground even in what must now considered unnatural surroundings and among foreign plant associates. Today the species has become extinct; not even a vestige of the trunks of these giants of Lobelioids remains to bear testimony to their previous existence. Fortunately, the writer photographed these trees when he discovered them, the only record besides herbarium specimens.
Numerous may have been the species which lived in remote places and became extinct before they were discovered.”

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References:

[1] Joseph F. Rock: A monographic study of the Hawaiian species of the tribe Lobelioideae, family Campanulaceae. Memoirs of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum of Polynesian Ethnology and Natural History 7: 1-394. 1918

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edited: 04.04.2018

Lobelia remyi Rock

Remy’s Lobelia (Lobelia remyi)

This species was described in 1919, it is known only from the type that was collected sometimes between 1851 and 1855.

“This species, which has not been re-collected, is described from a specimen, collected by Jules Remy on Oahu, in the herbarium in Paris [see depiction]. It is at once distinguished from the other Hawaiian Lobelias in the compact short raceme and the small grayish woolly leaves. It comes evidently close to Lobelia tortuosa Heller, with which it has the tomentose leaves in common. The specimen possesses old flowers, and is already in the fruiting stage. ” [1]

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The reasons for its extinction are certainly the same as for the other Hawaiian lobelioid species: complete destruction of the habitat and predation by introduced animals like cattle and rats.

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References:

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edited: 04.04.2018

Delissea lauliiana Lammers

Small-leaved Delissea (Delissea lauliiana)

The Small-leaved Delissea was described in 1919, it was originally described as a variety of another species, the Fringed Delissea (Delissea laciniata Hillebr.), but differs from that species by its much smaller leaves.

The species occurred in the Wailupe Valley in the Ko’olau Mountains on the island of O’ahu, Hawaiian Islands. [1]

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The Small-leaved Delissea is said to have been last seen in 1872.

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References:

[1] Joseph F. Rock: A monographic study of the Hawaiian species of the tribe Lobelioideae, Family Campanulaceae. Memoirs of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum of Polynesian Ethnology and Natural History 7: 1-394. 1918

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edited: 04.04.2018

Cyanea longissima (Rock) H. St. John

Streambank Cyanea (Cyanea longissima)

This species was described in 1911, originally as a variety of another species, the Rough Cyanea (Cyanea scabra Hillebr.)

The Streambank Cyanea was restricted to the wet forests at the windward slopes of the Haleakala Volkano on Maui, Hawaiian Islands.  The species was last seen in 1927.

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Photo from: ‘Joseph F. Rock: A monographic study o the Hawaiian species of the tribe Lobelioideae, family Campanulaceae. Memoirs of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum of Polynesian Ethnology and Natural History 7: 1-394. 1918’

(public domain)

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edited: 18.04.2019

Cyanea eleeleensis (H. St. John) Lammers

Eleelee Cyanea (Cyanea eleeleensis)

This species was described in 1987, it was only known from its type locality, in the Wainiha valley on the island of Kaua’i, Hawaiian Islands, where it was found growing in wet forest at an elevation of 213 m.

The Eleelee Cyanea reached a heigth of about 1,8 m, its leaves were up to 40 cm long, its axillary inflorescences beared 11 to 20 purple flowers.

The species was not found since its discovery in 1977 and is now extinct.

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edited: 17.04.2019

Cyanea dolichopoda Lammers & Lorence

Blue Hole Cyanea (Cyanea dolichopoda)

The Blue Hole Cyanea was discovered in 1990 on the island of Kaua’i, Hawaiian Islands, in an extremely inaccessible locality known as ‘The Blue Hole’, located at the headwaters of the Wailua River east of Kaua’i’s center, a deep and extremely wet valley head surrounded on three sides by vertical cliffs 900 m high and laced with waterfalls.

The vegetation at this place comprises an unusual mix of shrubland and low rainforest with a canopy only 1 to 3 m tall and a very rich ground layer of ferns, only a single mature and three juvenile plants were found.

The Blue Hole Cyanea is a 1 m tall, unbranched shrub.

The leaves bear a 9 to 16 cm long petiole, the laminas are up to 10 cm long and 3,7 to 5,8 cm wide, their upper surface is green and glabrous, the lower surface is light green and bears scattered hairs along the midrib. The leaf the base is cordate, often markedly asymmetric, the margins are callose-serrulate, the apex is acute or obtuse. The only adult plant was found with not fully-developed flowers; thus, the fully expanded flowers or fruits are unknown. [1]

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The type locality was visited again in 1992, six weeks after Hurricane Iniki severely struck Kaua’i, all known individuals were found destroyed by the hurricane.

The species was than described only one year later.

It is somewhat possible that additional plants exist, however, the almost complete inaccessibility of the type locality makes it quite unlikely that it will soon be explored. [1]

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References:

[1] Thomas G. Lammers; David H. Lorence: A new species of Cyanea (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae) from Kaua’i, and the resurrection of C. remyi. Novon 3: 431-436. 1993

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edited: 03.04.2018

Dead as the Dodo – Holocene Extinctions

… about 5858 taxa have disappeared since the beginning of the Anthropocene era (since about 10000 BCE)

Tag Archives: Campanulaceae

Cyanea copelandii ssp. copelandii Rock

Cyanea comata Hillebr.

Clermontia multiflora Hillebr.

Wahlenbergia roxburghii A. DC.

Cyanea linearifolia Rock

Delissea niihauensis H. St. John

Cyanea kolekoleensis (H. St. John) Lammers

Cyanea habenata (H. St. John) Lammers

Delissea fallax Hillebr.

Delissea laciniata Hillebr.

Cyanea quercifolia (Hillebr.) E. Wimm.

Cyanea pohaku Lammers

Lobelia remyi Rock

Delissea lauliiana Lammers

Cyanea longissima (Rock) H. St. John

Cyanea eleeleensis (H. St. John) Lammers

Cyanea dolichopoda Lammers & Lorence