Cyanea giffardii
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Cyanea giffardii (English names: "Kilauea Mauna Cyanea", "Giffard's Cyanea") is an extinct Hawaiian plant fromthe bellflower family (Campanulaceae). It was endemic to the main island of Hawaii . It was named in 1918 by Joseph Francis Rock after Walter M. Giffard , a businessman and gardening enthusiast from Honolulu .
description
Cyanea giffardii was a palm-like tree from its growth form , which reached heights of growth of 5 to 10 meters. The trunk had a diameter of 15 centimeters at the base. The pale-gray to green bark was smooth and covered with leaf scars from fallen leaves.
The leaf stalks were 3.5 to 6.5 inches long. The lanceolate leaves reached a length of 50 to 60 centimeters and width of 12 to 15 centimeters. The leaf margin was wavy and finely serrated. The upper side of the leaf was dark green, smooth and shiny. On the underside, the leaves were light, dull and hairy , especially on the veins . The midrib of the leaf was strong and protruding, just like the side veins, which were connected in an arc near the leaf margin.
The axillary inflorescences hung on stems 10 to 16 centimeters long and 1 centimeter thick under the leaves. The inflorescence contained 1.5 to 3 centimeters long and 0.3 to 0.5 centimeters wide, round bracts and five to ten curved, black-purple individual flowers that were up to 80 millimeters long. The spherical berries were 2.5 centimeters in diameter and contained hundreds of seeds.
Due to their flower shape, bird species such as the iiwi , the curly tail or the Akialoa could have been possible pollinators ( ornithophilia ).
Occurrence and habitat
Cyanea giffardii grew on the volcanic floors of gently sloping slopes at altitudes between 610 and 760 meters above sea level and was restricted to moist forests near Glenwood , Hawaii.
die out
Most of the forest at Glenwood has been destroyed by agriculture and urbanization . Pigs , rats, invasive snails and grasses also posed a threat . This species was collected only once in 1917. Since then the forests have been badly damaged. Biologists who later looked for this plant were unsuccessful.
literature
- Warren L. Wagner, Derral R. Herbst, SH Sohmer: Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai'i . University of Hawai'i Press, 1999.
- Walton Beacham: World Wildlife Fund Guide to Extinct Species of Modern Times , 1997. ISBN 0933833407
Web links
- Cyanea giffardii - Giffard's Cyanea ( Memento from October 18, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- Entry at Natureserve
- Torrey Botanical Club - Joseph F. Rock - New Species of Hawaiian Plants - Cyanea giffardii
- Cyanea giffardii in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Bruegmann, MM & Caraway, V., 2003. Retrieved on 3 June of 2007.