''Clermontia samuelii'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common name Hana clermontia. It is one of several

Hawaiian lobelioids The Hawaiian lobelioids are a group of flowering plants in the bellflower family, Campanulaceae, subfamily Lobelioideae, all of which are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. This is the largest plant radiation in the Hawaiian Islands, and indeed the ...

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 ...

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 ...

, where there are fewer than 250 mature specimens remaining.Bruegmann, M. M. & V. Caraway. (2003)
''Clermontia samuelii''

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. 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.USFWS
US Fish & Wildlife Species Profile.
/ref> This is a

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

which can reach five meters in height. It grows in wet ''

Metrosideros ''Metrosideros'' is a genus of approximately 60 trees, shrubs, and vines mostly found in the Pacific region in the family Myrtaceae. Most of the tree forms are small, but some are exceptionally large, the New Zealand species in particular. The n ...

'' forests. Some individuals are protected within

Haleakalā National Park Haleakalā National Park is an American national park located on the island of Maui in the state of Hawaii. Named after Haleakalā, a dormant volcano within its boundaries, the park covers an area of , of which is a wilderness area. The land wa ...

. Threats to the species include

invasive plant species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

such as glory bush (''Tibouchina herbacea'') and Vaseygrass (''Paspalum urvillei''), and feral pigs, which inflict severe damage upon the ecosystem.

References

External links

USDA Plants Profile
samuelii Endemic flora of Hawaii Biota of Maui {{Campanulaceae-stub