Search / Plant Profile / Cyanea grimesiana ssp. grimesiana

Plant Profile

Grimes' Cyanea (Cyanea grimesiana ssp. grimesiana)

Global Rank: T1 - Critically Imperiled
Legal Status: Federally Endangered
Family: Campanulaceae
State: HI
Nature Serve ID: 139355
Lifeform: Shrub
Date Inducted in National Collection:

Description:

This endemic member of the bellflower family has a beautiful inflorescence comprised of up to 12 flowers with magenta-striped petals, varying from purple to green to yellow in base color. Major threats to this Cyanea species include habitat degradation from climate change and predation by neighboring animals, including axis deer, goats, pigs, and rodents.

Where is Grimes' Cyanea (Cyanea grimesiana ssp. grimesiana) located in the wild?

Habitat:

This species is historically found in mesic forest often dominated by hia and koa, or on rocky or steep slopes of stream banks, and between 350 and 945 m (1,150 and 3,100 ft) elevation.

Distribution:

On Molokai, this species was last observed in 1991 in the wet cliff ecosystem at Wailau Valley. Today, it is unknown how many individuals there are in its native range if any.

States & Provinces:

Grimes' Cyanea can be found in Hawaii

Which CPC Partners conserve Grimes' Cyanea (Cyanea grimesiana ssp. grimesiana)?

Harold L. Lyon Arboretum

Not Sponsored

Assigned 06/09/17

CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Conservation Actions

Nellie Sugii, Kahoali`i K. Keahi-Wood

07/15/2017

The major threats to this taxon include direct competition by invasive non-native plant species, especially Schinus terebinthifolia, Psidium cattleianum, and Clidemia hirta, and predation and habitat degradation by non-native animals, particularly feral pigs.

Nellie Sugii, Kahoali`i K. Keahi-Wood

07/15/2017

Two remaining sites exist on Oahu and possibly Molokai with fewer than 20 individuals left on Oahu.

Nellie Sugii, Kahoali`i K. Keahi-Wood

07/15/2017

Conservation needs include fencing and slug control.

Nellie Sugii, Kahoali`i K. Keahi-Wood

07/15/2017

Ex-situ collection needs include development of proper horticultural and pest management protocols, surveys of ex situ holdings and conduct molecular fingerprinting, conducting of pollination biology and seed dispersal studies, as well as seed storage and propagation for restoration and outplanting.