Cyanea pinnatifida (Cham.) E. Wimm.

Genus: Cyanea subsection Grimesianae

Range: O'ahu, Wai'anae Ranges, Kalua'a gulch, mesic forest

Status: Extinct in the wild. Outplanted individuals are in an exclosure in Honouliuli preserve (DOFAW) and Lyon Arboretum.

Growth form: Treelet, 0.8-3.0 m tall.

Hillebrand, 1888, Rock, 1919 and Carlquist (1974, 1980) thought this plant a juvenile from the Rollandiae section. Hillebrand discusses it under Rollandia racemosa and Rock lists it as a doubtful species. Lammers' investigations (Wagner et al., 1990) found that the staminal column is not adnate therefore it cannot be a precociously flowering juvenile of the Rollandiae section. Givnish's 1995 unpublished DNA work places it as sister to the Cy. grimesiana. Degener (1932) called it Cy. selachicauda, Shark's tail Cyanea, but merged his species with Chamisso's pinnatifida in 1952. Chamisso's species collected in 1817 was collected in on Oahu's western mountains. Degener found a new population of about 10 plants growing on the damp sides of a stream in Puu Hapapa.

How to identify: The pinnatifid leaves are quite unique among the Cyanea.

Sources:

• Chamisso, 1833 (as Lobelia pinnatifida);
• G. Don, 1834 (as Rollandia pinnatifida);
• De Candolle, 1838 (as Delissea pinnatifida);
• Mann, 1868 (as Delissea pinnatifida);
• Hillebrand, 1888 (as a note under Rollandia racemosa);
• Rock, 1919 (listed under doubtful species);
• Degener, 1932 (as Cyanea selachicauda);
• Wimmer, 1943;
• Degener, 1952;
• Wagner et al., 1990