Search / Plant Profile / Cyanea magnicalyx

Plant Profile

(Cyanea magnicalyx)

Global Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled
Legal Status: Federally Endangered
Family: Campanulaceae
State: HI
Nature Serve ID: 877177
Lifeform: Shrub
Date Inducted in National Collection:

Description:

This Maui-native shrub is a member of the bellflower family, producing yellowish-white flowers with a purple stripe arranged on racemes from September-October. At maturity, large yellow berries form. Less than five individuals can be found in its native habitat in West Maui at 1,600 feet in elevation. Its existence is threatened by predation and habitat degradation by feral pigs.

Where is (Cyanea magnicalyx) located in the wild?

Habitat:

This species is found in lowland mesic forests.

Distribution:

This species is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, restricted to about 450 m elevation on the West Maui Mountains of the island of Maui. Its distribution is severely fragmented, occurring in only three subpopulations and only three individuals.

States & Provinces:

can be found in Hawaii

Which CPC Partners conserve (Cyanea magnicalyx)?

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

07/15/2017

The major threats to this taxon include direct competition by invasive non-native plant species, especially Psidium cattleianum, and predation by non-native animals, particularly feral pigs, and rats. Feral pigs also degrade habitat.

Nellie Sugii

07/15/2017

The taxon is extremely rare. One remaining population exists with three total individuals (IUCN Red List 2015).

Nellie Sugii

07/15/2017

Further research is needed on general ecology, life history, and population genetics.

Nellie Sugii

07/15/2017

Fencing, undulate control, and weed control are needed for all 3 populations to secure each remaining individual. A reintroduction strategy utilizing the remaining 3 individuals should be devised.

Nellie Sugii

07/15/2017

More propagation and germplasm banking is necessary to increase the numbers of plants for restoration and storage.

Nellie Sugii

07/14/2017

The taxon is on the U.S. Endangered Species List and also on the State of Hawaii Endangered Species List. All of the subpopulations are monitored by the Maui Plant Extinction Prevention Program, which provide some conservation management, such as small-scale fencing (at one subpopulation), invasive species control, monitoring, fruit collection, and outplanting.