Search / Plant Profile / Clermontia oblongifolia ssp. brevipes

Plant Profile

`Oha (Clermontia oblongifolia ssp. brevipes)

Global Rank: T1 - Critically Imperiled
Legal Status: Federally Endangered
Family: Campanulaceae
State: HI
Nature Serve ID: 158408
Lifeform: Shrub, Tree
Date Inducted in National Collection:

Description:

The O`ahu Clermontia is a terrestrial shrub that can grow to heights up to 7 meters tall. Its flowers form as arched tubes that are greenish, white, or purplish on the outside and white or cream colored on the inside. At maturation, the flowers produce orange berries, similar to the fruits of other subspecies of Clermontia oblongifolia. This species is distinguished from others in the genus by the size and structure of its flowers, the floral lobes, and its green hypanthium. This subspecies differs from others of the species by the shape of its leaves and the lengths of its leaves, leaf stalks, and flower stalks.

Where is `Oha (Clermontia oblongifolia ssp. brevipes) located in the wild?

Habitat:

This species occurs on wet shallow soil on gulch slopes in habitats of mesic valleys to wet forests.

Distribution:

It is extremely rare to find in the wild, only known from a population found on the Nature Conservancy's Kamakou Preserve in east Moloka`i. There are less than 30 plants remaining of O`ahu Clermontia, all belonging to this single population. It can be found at altitudes of 400-1,200 m, on O`ahu, Moloka`i, Lana`i and Mau`i.

States & Provinces:

`Oha can be found in Hawaii

Which CPC Partners conserve `Oha (Clermontia oblongifolia ssp. brevipes)?

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

Clarice Mendoza

09/15/2017

Current threats to this species include predation by neighboring animal species, invasive plant species, and human disturbance.

Nellie Sugii, Kahoali`i K. Keahi-Wood

07/15/2017

Two remaining populations exist on the island of Molokai. One population was last seen in 1982 and the other, from the Kamakou area, has not been observed for over 40 years. Both may have been extirpated.

Nellie Sugii, Kahoali`i K. Keahi-Wood

07/15/2017

The main conservation need is a survey of this species' historic range for surviving populations. If it is found, the establishment of secure ex-situ stocks with complete representation of remaining individuals is to be done. Thus, the augmentation of wild populations and the establishment of new populations in safe harbors can be performed (DLNR 2006).

Nellie Sugii, Kahoali`i K. Keahi-Wood

07/15/2017

If found, ex-situ collection needs are to develop proper horticultural and pest management protocols, to survey ex-situ holdings and conduct molecular fingerprinting, to conduct pollination biology and seed dispersal studies, and to establish seed storage and propagation for restoration and outplanting.

Nellie Sugii, Kahoali`i K. Keahi-Wood

07/13/2017

Threats include feral pigs and rats, as well as invasive plant species and human disturbance.