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Plant Profile

`Ohi`a Lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha var. glaberrima)

Flower of Metrosideros polymorpha var. glaberrima. Photo Credit: Oahu Army Natural Resources Program

Global Rank: T2 - Imperiled
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Myrtaceae
State: HI
Nature Serve ID: 152727
Lifeform: Shrub, Tree
Date Inducted in National Collection: 10/25/2019

Description:

Metrosideros polymorpha var. glaberrima (ʻŌhiʻa lehua) are shrubs to tall trees endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It is distinguished from other local species by its ovate or obovate to elliptic leaves that are glabrous on lower surfaces.

Where is `Ohi`a Lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha var. glaberrima) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Inhabiting many ecological situations, from early successional stages to dominant species of shrublands and mesic to wet forests on all major islands of Hawaiʻi except Kahoolawe. From near sea level up to 2200 m in elevation.

Distribution:

This variety is the most widespread of the native Metrosideros and is known from all of the major islands except Kahoolawe.

States & Provinces:

`Ohi`a Lehua can be found in Hawaii

Which CPC Partners conserve `Ohi`a Lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha var. glaberrima)?

Harold L. Lyon Arboretum

Not Sponsored

Conservation Actions

Assigned 10/25/19

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

Anna Sugiyama, Tim Kroessig

10/29/2019

Collected by Tim Kroessig at Lyon Arboretum at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Miles Thomas at Division of Forestry and Wildlife in Waialae Nui Ridge in southern Koolau Mountains on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi.

Metrosideros polymorpha var. glaberrima has a wide distribution range and occurs on multiple islands. Therefore, population is stable. However, invasive weeds, ungulates, pollinator bird losses may still threaten the species, and it is known to be affected by the Rapid Ohia Death (ROD) on the island of Hawaii, which could be considered as an imminent threat.

Fruits may take months to mature but if not collected immediately after, all the seeds may be lost. Progress of fruit maturity is hard to predict, and requires the collectors to visit repeatedly to be able to collect at the right time.

For this accession, seeds were all mature and was collected at the right time. However, seeds often have low fill rate, and the initial germination was 7% on agar substrate. Seeds of this species is storable for 20+ years and seeds stored at -18ºC are scheduled to be tested for long-term viability tests in 10 years.