''Clermontia peleana'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the
bellflower family known by the common name Pele clermontia. It is one of several
Hawaiian lobelioids in genus ''Clermontia'' that are known as ''`oha wai''. This plant is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to the island of
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, where it is known from a few individuals.
[USFWS]
''Clermontia peleana'' Five-year Review.
January 18, 2008. It is a federally listed
endangered species
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
of the United States.
There are two subspecies. When the plant was placed on the endangered species list, only subsp. ''peleana'' was believed extinct, and it was known from eight remaining wild plants. The last of the eight died in the year 2000, and the species was then only known from one cultivated plant. Breeding efforts produced a number of
seedling
A seedling is a young sporophyte developing out of a plant embryo from a seed. Seedling development starts with germination of the seed. A typical young seedling consists of three main parts: the radicle (embryonic root), the hypocotyl (embry ...
s that were transplanted into the species' native habitat, and by 2007, one of them was flowering.
[
The other subspecies, subsp. ''singuliflora'', was last seen on Hawaii in 1909 and ]Maui
The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...
in 1920.[Native Hawaiian plant rediscovered on Big Island.]
The Nature Conservancy. August 31, 2010. It is currently declared as Critically endangered.volcano
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are ...
Kohala, a place it had never been seen before. Seeds were collected and propagation efforts will be made.[Hawaii plant thought to be extinct found in Kohala.]
''Associated Press'' September 2, 2010.
References
External links
USDA Plants Profile
peleana
Endemic flora of Hawaii
{{Campanulaceae-stub