Found only in Kipuka Puaulu in Hawaii Volcanoes
National Park
Locations
in this Guide
Kipuka Puaulu
General
Appearance
This is a tree that
grows to a height of 7 m or more with a trunk up to 30 cm in diameter
(Wagner, et al. 1990: 879).
Leaves
Flowers &
Fruits
Carlquist (1980: 135-6)
notes that the flowers do not fully open. The result is a narrow
tubular flower that is curved. This makes it similar in size and
shape to a honeycreeper bill, much as is found in the lobeloids.
The flowers are 2 to 3 inches long and
curved. They are dark red (Stone and Pratt 1994: 317).
The fruits are about 1 inch long with the outside
capsule covering a yellow-green color (Stone and Pratt 1994: 317).
The ripe fruit on the right has several small seeds showing.
The seeds are reported by Stone and Pratt (1994: 317) to have light
brown hairs.
Phenology
Phenology Notes
Kipuka Puaulu
Abundant flowers.
7/15/00
Kipuka Puaulu
3 mature fruit.
7/15/00
Kipuka Puaulu
A few developing
flowers (none open) and 2 fruit.
5/6/01
Kipuka Puaulu
Abundant flowers but
no fruit. Many flowers developing.
6/10/01
Kipuka Puaulu
Save as 6/10/01
6/16/01
Kipuka Puaulu
Many flowers, just one
mature fruit.
8/3/01
Natural
History
According to Stone and Pratt (1994:317)
there are thought to have been six species in this endemic genus.
Unfortunately, all of these are either rare or extinct.
Conservation
This species has been
planted in Kipuka Puaulu. In is a progeny of a plant
discovered by Joseph Rock. He saved it through propagating
seeds and taking cuttings. The current trees were planted in
the 1950s (Stone and Pratt 1994: 317). In 2000, a number of seedlings were
outplanted in a grove in Kipuka Puaulu.
The two pictures below
show what may be rat damage to the base of the flower. The
number of rats appears to be high in 2001 and such damage is not
unexpected.
Miscellaneous
Photos
A thick layer of leaf
litter develops beneath the trees.