{"id":184449,"date":"2023-09-29T15:54:11","date_gmt":"2023-09-30T01:54:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=184449"},"modified":"2023-09-29T15:54:11","modified_gmt":"2023-09-30T01:54:11","slug":"new-plant-species-unique-to-west-maui","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2023\/09\/29\/new-plant-species-unique-to-west-maui\/","title":{"rendered":"New plant species unique to West Maui discovered by UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa expert"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"shrub
Clermontia hanaulaensis<\/em> (Photo credit: Department of Land and Natural Resources)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A native plant that was first discovered in the forests of West Maui in 2020 by a University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa expert has now been officially recognized as a new Hawaiian species.<\/p>\n

The plant, named Clermontia hanaulaensis<\/em>, was found during routine surveys by Hank Oppenheimer, Maui Nui Plant Extinction Prevention Program<\/a> (PEPP<\/abbr>) coordinator. The program is part of the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit<\/a> in UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa’s College of Natural Sciences<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to experts, the plant species is only found in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> and is likely unique to the mountains of West Maui.<\/p>\n

“I decided to just turn a different way and look over a ridge I hadn\u2019t explored before and there they were,” Oppenheimer said. “They looked very different from other Clermontia<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

Clermontia<\/em> is a genus of plants that evolved in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> and is found nowhere else in the world. They grow as small shrub-like trees on the six largest islands from about 600 to 6,000 feet in elevation. Their long, paddle-shaped leaves grow atop branches that fork. This species flower is lavender and white.<\/p>\n

Botanists across the state studied the found plant\u2019s flower and leaf structure, comparing it to herbarium specimens and photos to try to verify that it is a previously undiscovered species. The botanists also ruled out the possibility of the plant being a hybrid of other Clermontia<\/em> species.<\/p>\n

Critically endangered<\/h2>\n

The patch of this rare plant is currently the only known population, numbering less than 80 adults and 20 seedlings spread out in an area about the size of 10 football fields. They are not growing on protected state lands, however, the private landowner has been a longtime conservation partner.<\/p>\n

Since it exists only as a small population with a limited range, it\u2019s already being proposed for critically endangered status. Because there are so few of this rare species in the wild, PEPP<\/abbr> has collected seeds and will continue to monitor the population to ensure its survival.<\/p>\n

Key threats to rare plants across Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> are introduced plants, slugs, pigs and rats which eat seeds and fruit. On Maui, Axis deer pose additional threats.<\/p>\n

Clermontia<\/em> are usually pollinated by native forest birds, which are absent at this population\u2019s elevation due to mosquito-spread avian malaria. They usually grow as mid-canopy plants, under larger trees. A hurricane knocking down larger trees or a single fire could wipe out this newly discovered species.<\/p>\n

PEPP<\/abbr> marks its 20th anniversary in 2023. Visit its website for more information<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The patch of this rare plant is currently the only known population, numbering less than 80 adults and 20 seedlings in an area about the size of 10 football fields.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[308,1467,1363,568,367,359,731,9],"class_list":["post-184449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-college-of-natural-sciences","tag-manoa-excellence-in-research","tag-manoa-research","tag-natural-science","tag-pacific-cooperative-studies-unit","tag-plant-and-environmental-protection-sciences","tag-plants","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t