''Delissea subcordata'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Campanulaceae known by the common names Koʻolau Range delissea and ''oha''. 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 ...

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 only from the island of

Oahu Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...

. It is now only found in the

Waianae Mountains Waianae () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States. As of the 2020 census, the CDP population was 13,614. Its name means "waters of the mullet". Its etymology is shared with the far northern Wellington subu ...

, and it is believed to be extirpated from the Koʻolau Range, where it once occurred. As of 2008 there were 40 individuals remaining, 28 of which were mature plants.USFWS
''Delissea subcordata'' Five-year Review.
January 2008. This plant was federally listed as an

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 in 1996.''Delissea subcordata''.
The Nature Conservancy. This

Hawaiian lobelioid 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 t ...

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 grows up to 3 meters tall and bears white or greenish flowers. It grows in moist forest habitat. Other plants in the forests include ohia lehua (''Metrosideros polymorpha'') and

koa KOA (short for Kampgrounds of America) is an American franchise of privately owned campgrounds. Having more than 500 locations across the United States and Canada, it is the world's largest system of privately owned campgrounds. It was founded in ...

(''Acacia koa''), which dominate the canopy, and Ēlama (''Diospyros hillebrandii''), papala kepau (''Pisonia'' spp.), and ʻĀlaʻa (''Planchonella sandwicensis'') in the understory. Threats to this rare species and its

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

include feral goats and pigs.

References

External links

USDA Plants Profile
Lobelioideae Endemic flora of Hawaii Biota of Oahu {{Campanulaceae-stub