''Clermontia pyrularia'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common names Hamakua clermontia and pear clermontia. It is one of several Hawaiian lobelioids in genus ''Clermontia'' that are known as ''oha wai'' and ''haha''. It 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, where there is one remaining wild population containing 15 individuals and several propagated individuals that have been planted in protected habitat.USFWS
''Clermontia pyrularia'' Five-year Review.
August 2, 2007. This 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. This is a small tree which grows in '' Metrosideros polymorpha'' and '' Acacia koa'' dominated montane wet and subalpine dry forests on the slopes of Mauna Loa and

Mauna Kea Mauna Kea ( or ; ; abbreviation for ''Mauna a Wākea''); is a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii. Its peak is above sea level, making it the highest point in the state of Hawaii and second-highest peak of an island on Earth. The peak is ...

between . Associated plants include ''

Lythrum maritimum ''Lythrum'' is a genus of 38 species of flowering plants native to the temperate world. Commonly known as loosestrife (a name they share with ''Lysimachia'', which are not closely related), they are among 32 genera of the family Lythraceae. Desc ...

'' and '' Rubus hawaiensis''. It has toothed leaf blades borne on winged petioles. The plant blooms in November and December in greenish white double-lipped flowers with green-tipped

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

Pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the p ...

-shaped fruits occur soon after.''Clermontia pyrularia''.
Center for Plant Conservation.Bruegmann, M. M. & V. Caraway. (2003)
''Clermontia pyrularia''

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...

. IUCN 2010
www.iucnredlist.org
. Retrieved on 13 February 2011. Threats to this rare plant include feral pigs,

black rat The black rat (''Rattus rattus''), also known as the roof rat, ship rat, or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the stereotypical rat genus ''Rattus'', in the subfamily Murinae. It likely originated in the Indian subcontinent, but is n ...

s, and introduced plant species such as

banana passionfruit Banana passionfruit (''Passiflora'' supersect. ''Tacsonia''), also known as taxo and curuba, is a group of around 64 '' Passiflora'' species found in South America. Most species in this section are found in high elevation cloud forest habitats. Fl ...

(''Passiflora mollissima''), weeping rice grass (''Ehrharta stipoides''), and

kikuyu grass The tropical Poaceae, grass species ''Cenchrus clandestinus'' (previously Pennisetum clandestinum) is known by several common names, most often kikuyu grass, as it is native to the highland regions of East Africa that is home to the Kikuyu peop ...

(''Pennisetum clandestinum''). The plant also likely suffers from the loss of several native nectar-feeding birds which once pollinated it, and fruit-eating birds which dispersed its seeds. A few populations have been planted in Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge.

References

External links

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USDA Plants Profile
Mauna Loa pyrularia Endemic flora of Hawaii Biota of Hawaii (island) Plants described in 1888 {{Campanulaceae-stub