Hawai‘i’s rich collection of unique, native plant species has added a new member to its ranks: a new species has been described for the first time. Only one individual of the new species, named Cyanea heluensis, is currently known from a remote location in West Maui. While exploring the steep slopes of Helu above Lāhainā, botanist Hank Oppenheimer and colleague Jennifer Higashino found a single large plant in the deep shade of a healthy ʻōhiʻa forest.

Cyanea heluensis is related to other native plants known as hāhā, but has unique leaves and gently curved, long, white flowers. The flowers of this and other related species are pollinated by birds, and the orange fruits are attractive to fruit-eating native birds that would disperse the seeds.

Since being found, numerous surveys using ropes to access steep cliffs have failed to locate any more individuals, making the conservation of the only known plant critically important. Before a goat could eat the plant or another catastrophe caused immediate extinction, Hank Oppenheimer applied a special paste designed by Nellie Sugii, a horticulturalist at Lyon Arboretum, to produce new growth on the plant. The new growth was successfully transported to Maui’s Olinda Rare Plant Facility, where it is being propagated.

Protections are urgently needed to keep rare, wild plants like Cyanea heluensis alive. Rats are a common problem for Hawai‘i’s rare plants, as they can devour fruits before seeds can be dispersed. Slugs will eat flowers and young seedlings. Non-native hooved animals like goats and deer, which roam across millions of acres in Hawai‘i, will eat native plants and destroy the forest they need to survive. Cyanea heluensis is one of 250 species managed by the Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP), a project of the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit at the University of Hawai‘i. With funding support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the DLNR, PEPP works to prevent the extinction of Hawaii’s native plants. In the case of Cyanea heluensis, botanists returned on many trips to install protections and attempt to collect seeds that could be grown offsite. “Dozens of native plants like this one are now only kept alive in nurseries,” says Matthew Keir, DLNR Botanist. “Just one natural disaster, like a hurricane, hitting a nursery could cause the extinction of many rare plants,” he said.

https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/12/24/nr20-207/

PermeateFree said:

Hawai‘i’s rich collection of unique, native plant species has added a new member to its ranks: a new species has been described for the first time. Only one individual of the new species, named Cyanea heluensis, is currently known from a remote location in West Maui. While exploring the steep slopes of Helu above Lāhainā, botanist Hank Oppenheimer and colleague Jennifer Higashino found a single large plant in the deep shade of a healthy ʻōhiʻa forest.

Cyanea heluensis is related to other native plants known as hāhā, but has unique leaves and gently curved, long, white flowers. The flowers of this and other related species are pollinated by birds, and the orange fruits are attractive to fruit-eating native birds that would disperse the seeds.

Since being found, numerous surveys using ropes to access steep cliffs have failed to locate any more individuals, making the conservation of the only known plant critically important. Before a goat could eat the plant or another catastrophe caused immediate extinction, Hank Oppenheimer applied a special paste designed by Nellie Sugii, a horticulturalist at Lyon Arboretum, to produce new growth on the plant. The new growth was successfully transported to Maui’s Olinda Rare Plant Facility, where it is being propagated.

Protections are urgently needed to keep rare, wild plants like Cyanea heluensis alive. Rats are a common problem for Hawai‘i’s rare plants, as they can devour fruits before seeds can be dispersed. Slugs will eat flowers and young seedlings. Non-native hooved animals like goats and deer, which roam across millions of acres in Hawai‘i, will eat native plants and destroy the forest they need to survive. Cyanea heluensis is one of 250 species managed by the Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP), a project of the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit at the University of Hawai‘i. With funding support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the DLNR, PEPP works to prevent the extinction of Hawaii’s native plants. In the case of Cyanea heluensis, botanists returned on many trips to install protections and attempt to collect seeds that could be grown offsite. “Dozens of native plants like this one are now only kept alive in nurseries,” says Matthew Keir, DLNR Botanist. “Just one natural disaster, like a hurricane, hitting a nursery could cause the extinction of many rare plants,” he said.

https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/12/24/nr20-207/

Last I heard, there weren’t many rare plants left on Hawaii.

Over the past 300 years it’s been the extinction capital of the world.

mollwollfumble said:

PermeateFree said:

Hawai‘i’s rich collection of unique, native plant species has added a new member to its ranks: a new species has been described for the first time. Only one individual of the new species, named Cyanea heluensis, is currently known from a remote location in West Maui. While exploring the steep slopes of Helu above Lāhainā, botanist Hank Oppenheimer and colleague Jennifer Higashino found a single large plant in the deep shade of a healthy ʻōhiʻa forest.

Cyanea heluensis is related to other native plants known as hāhā, but has unique leaves and gently curved, long, white flowers. The flowers of this and other related species are pollinated by birds, and the orange fruits are attractive to fruit-eating native birds that would disperse the seeds.

Since being found, numerous surveys using ropes to access steep cliffs have failed to locate any more individuals, making the conservation of the only known plant critically important. Before a goat could eat the plant or another catastrophe caused immediate extinction, Hank Oppenheimer applied a special paste designed by Nellie Sugii, a horticulturalist at Lyon Arboretum, to produce new growth on the plant. The new growth was successfully transported to Maui’s Olinda Rare Plant Facility, where it is being propagated.

Protections are urgently needed to keep rare, wild plants like Cyanea heluensis alive. Rats are a common problem for Hawai‘i’s rare plants, as they can devour fruits before seeds can be dispersed. Slugs will eat flowers and young seedlings. Non-native hooved animals like goats and deer, which roam across millions of acres in Hawai‘i, will eat native plants and destroy the forest they need to survive. Cyanea heluensis is one of 250 species managed by the Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP), a project of the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit at the University of Hawai‘i. With funding support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the DLNR, PEPP works to prevent the extinction of Hawaii’s native plants. In the case of Cyanea heluensis, botanists returned on many trips to install protections and attempt to collect seeds that could be grown offsite. “Dozens of native plants like this one are now only kept alive in nurseries,” says Matthew Keir, DLNR Botanist. “Just one natural disaster, like a hurricane, hitting a nursery could cause the extinction of many rare plants,” he said.

https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/12/24/nr20-207/

Last I heard, there weren’t many rare plants left on Hawaii.

Over the past 300 years it’s been the extinction capital of the world.

Which makes a considerable number of rare plants. Hawaii has had more destructive biological factors introduced (especially over the last 200 years) than most places in the world. It is disgraceful how people have treated such a rare and beautiful place.

PermeateFree said:

mollwollfumble said:

PermeateFree said:

Hawai‘i’s rich collection of unique, native plant species has added a new member to its ranks: a new species has been described for the first time. Only one individual of the new species, named Cyanea heluensis, is currently known from a remote location in West Maui. While exploring the steep slopes of Helu above Lāhainā, botanist Hank Oppenheimer and colleague Jennifer Higashino found a single large plant in the deep shade of a healthy ʻōhiʻa forest.

Cyanea heluensis is related to other native plants known as hāhā, but has unique leaves and gently curved, long, white flowers. The flowers of this and other related species are pollinated by birds, and the orange fruits are attractive to fruit-eating native birds that would disperse the seeds.

Since being found, numerous surveys using ropes to access steep cliffs have failed to locate any more individuals, making the conservation of the only known plant critically important. Before a goat could eat the plant or another catastrophe caused immediate extinction, Hank Oppenheimer applied a special paste designed by Nellie Sugii, a horticulturalist at Lyon Arboretum, to produce new growth on the plant. The new growth was successfully transported to Maui’s Olinda Rare Plant Facility, where it is being propagated.

Protections are urgently needed to keep rare, wild plants like Cyanea heluensis alive. Rats are a common problem for Hawai‘i’s rare plants, as they can devour fruits before seeds can be dispersed. Slugs will eat flowers and young seedlings. Non-native hooved animals like goats and deer, which roam across millions of acres in Hawai‘i, will eat native plants and destroy the forest they need to survive. Cyanea heluensis is one of 250 species managed by the Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP), a project of the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit at the University of Hawai‘i. With funding support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the DLNR, PEPP works to prevent the extinction of Hawaii’s native plants. In the case of Cyanea heluensis, botanists returned on many trips to install protections and attempt to collect seeds that could be grown offsite. “Dozens of native plants like this one are now only kept alive in nurseries,” says Matthew Keir, DLNR Botanist. “Just one natural disaster, like a hurricane, hitting a nursery could cause the extinction of many rare plants,” he said.

https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/12/24/nr20-207/

Last I heard, there weren’t many rare plants left on Hawaii.

Over the past 300 years it’s been the extinction capital of the world.

Which makes a considerable number of rare plants. Hawaii has had more destructive biological factors introduced (especially over the last 200 years) than most places in the world. It is disgraceful how people have treated such a rare and beautiful place.

Well export them then.

mollwollfumble said:

PermeateFree said:

mollwollfumble said:

Last I heard, there weren’t many rare plants left on Hawaii.

Over the past 300 years it’s been the extinction capital of the world.

Which makes a considerable number of rare plants. Hawaii has had more destructive biological factors introduced (especially over the last 200 years) than most places in the world. It is disgraceful how people have treated such a rare and beautiful place.

Well export them then.

I presume you mean export the rare plants? If so why on earth would you want to do that. There are many people currently trying to handle the situation and rectify problems created by others. The flora and fauna of a place is its heritage, when you give or sell it from where it belongs, you have no empathy about a world that has evolved into unique forms over millions of years. I know people are arrogant and self-serving, but that is a stretch too far.