| Cyrtandra heinrichii | |
|---|---|
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| |
| Conservation status | |
 Endangered (IUCN 3.1) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Gesneriaceae |
| Genus: | Cyrtandra |
| Species: | C. heinrichii |
| Binomial name | |
| Cyrtandra heinrichii H. St. John | |
Cyrtandra heinrichii, known as ha'iwale or lava cyrtandra, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Gesneriaceae. It is found on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
Description
Cyrtandra heinrichii is a shrub that usually grows by waterfalls on walls of basalt. They are also found in shrubland and wet, tropical or sub-tropical forests dominated by Metrosideros. This species can usually be found with ferns at altitudes between 730m and 1,350m.
This species is closely related to Cyrtandra wawrae.
Conservation and threats
Cyrtandra heinrichii is listed as endangered by the IUCN. It occupies an area of 10km. There are estimated to be between 250 and 1,000 mature individuals left in the declining population, fragmented into 9 subpopulations. Part of the species range lies within a Natural Area Reserve.
Damage to the plant by slugs and rodents, habitat destruction from wild pigs, and invasive plants species all pose a serious threat to this taxon. These invasive species compete with lava cyrtandra for resources. Such plant species include, but are not exclusive to:
- Erigeron karvinskianus
- Hedychium gardnerianum
- Clidemia hirta
- Cyathea cooperi
- Andropogon virginicus
- Rubus rosifolius
- Blechnum appendiculatum
- Pterolepis glomerata
- Erechtites valerianifolius
In addition, the decline of native bird and insect species has led to a decrease in pollination.
References
- ^ Merlin Edmonds (National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hawaii; David Lorence (National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hawaii (2015-08-12). "ha'iwale, Cyrtandra heinrichii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- Wagner, Warren L.; Wood, Kenneth R.; Lorence, David H. (Spring 2001). "A New Species of Cyrtandra (Gesneriaceae) from Kaua'i, Hawaiian Islands". Novon. 11 (1): 146. doi:10.2307/3393224. JSTOR 3393224.
- "Plants Profile for Cyrtandra heinrichii (lava cyrtandra)". plants.usda.gov. Retrieved 2020-09-12.
- Johnson, Melissa A.; Pillon, Yohan; Sakishima, Tomoko; Price, Donald K.; Stacy, Elizabeth A. (2019). "Multiple colonizations, hybridization and uneven diversification in Cyrtandra (Gesneriaceae) lineages on Hawai'i Island". Journal of Biogeography. 46 (6): 1178–1196. doi:10.1111/jbi.13567. ISSN 1365-2699. S2CID 145877685.