Cyanea kauaulaensis H.Oppenh. & Lorence, 2012

Genus: Cyanea

Range: West Maui, Kaua'ula & Waikapu valleys, wet-forest, 732-914 m.

Etymology: Named after the valley Kaua'ula in west Maui in which it was found.

Status: Should be considered critically endangered. Less than 50 plants from three populations are known from an area less than 10km2 (2012).

Growth form: Shrub, branching from base, 2-4 m tall.

First discovered in 1989 by Steve Perlman, Sam Gon and Robert Hobdy. Additional plants were found in 2008-2009 and a new populations discovered in 2011. The photo on the right from Oppenheimer & Lorence, 2012 shows Steve Perlman standing next to a flowering stem.

Oppenheimer and Lorence suggest that this species is related to the Moloka'i species Cyanea profuga.

How to identify: On West Maui, there are about a dozen Cyanea. Only four of them have entirely glabrous leaf undersurfaces. Of these, two are in the grimesiana complex and have pinnate leaves. The remaining species are Cyanea kauaulaensis and the common Cyanea angustifolia. This latter species has much narrow leaves, dentiform calyx lobes, much smaller (< ½ a centimeter) and purple fruit.

To differentiate from its purported closest sister, Cy. profuga, which occurs on Moloka'i, this species has more flowers per inflorescence and its leaf margins are either entire or minutely serrulate whereas Cy. profuga is callose-toothed or erose.

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