Delissea subcordata

Delissea subcordata is a rare species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common names Koʻolau Range delissea and oha. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known only from the island of Oahu. It is now only found in the Waianae Mountains, 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.[2] This plant was federally listed as an endangered species of the United States in 1996.[1]

Delissea subcordata

Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Campanulaceae
Genus: Delissea
Species:
D. subcordata
Binomial name
Delissea subcordata
Subspecies

D. s. subsp. obtusifolia
D. s. subsp. subcordata

This Hawaiian lobelioid is a shrub which grows up to 3 meters tall and bears white or greenish flowers. It grows in moist forest habitat.[1] Other plants in the forests include ohia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) and koa (Acacia koa), which dominate the canopy, and Ēlama (Diospyros hillebrandii), papala kepau (Pisonia spp.), and ʻĀlaʻa (Pouteria sandwicensis) in the understory.[2]

Threats to this rare species and its ecosystem include feral goats and pigs.[2]

References
  1. Delissea subcordata. The Nature Conservancy.
  2. USFWS. Delissea subcordata Five-year Review. January 2008.
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