Cyanea copelandii ssp. copelandii

Cyanea copelandii ssp. copelandii NatureServe Explorer Species Reports — NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports — Cyanea copelandii ssp. copelandii ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

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Cyanea copelandii is a rare species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common name treetrunk cyanea. It is endemic to Maui, where there are no more than 250 individuals remaining in the wild. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States. Like other Cyanea it is known as hāhā in Hawaiian.

There are two subspecies of this plant, but one, ssp. copelandii, is thought to be extinct. It was native to the island of Hawaii, where it was driven to extinction by feral ungulates such as pigs. The plant was probably also pollinated by Hawaiian honeycreepers, many of which are also extinct.

The remaining subspecies, ssp. haleakalaensis, has been reduced to a population under 250 by habitat degradation caused by exotic plants and feral non-native animals. The population is divided into three subpopulations. They are shrinking by 25% each generation.