''Cyanea mceldowneyi'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the bellflower family known by the common name McEldowney cyanea. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

, where it is known only from the island of

Maui Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2). It is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th-largest in the United States. Maui is one of ...

.''Cyanea mceldowneyi''.
The Nature Conservancy. A 2007 count estimated 60 plants remaining in two populations.USFWS
''Cyanea mceldowneyi'' Five-year Review.
January 2008. It was federally listed as an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

of the United States in 1992.USFWS
Determination of endangered or threatened status for 15 plants from the island of Maui, HI.
''Federal Register'' May 15, 1992. pg 20776. Like other '' Cyanea'' it is known as ''haha'' in Hawaiian.USFWS Species Reports: Listed Plants
/ref> This Hawaiian lobelioid is a

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

growing 2 to 3 meters tall. The leaves are up to 35 centimeters long by 9 wide and are lined with hard teeth. The leaves are prickly, especially when new. The

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

bears 5 to 7 tubular flowers. The petals are white with purple stripes and have prickles. This species is threatened by habitat degradation due to feral pigs and exotic plant species such as Koster's curse (''Clidemia hirta''), glorybush (''Tibouchina herbacea''), and thimbleberry (''Rubus rosifolius''). It may also suffer from the lack of

pollinator A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female carpel, stigma of a flower. This helps to bring about fertilization of the ovules in the flower by the male gametes from the pollen grains. Insects are ...

s. This plant was named for a Maui

forester A forester is a person who practises forest management and forestry, the science, art, and profession of managing forests. Foresters engage in a broad range of activities including ecological restoration and management of protected areas. Fores ...

named George McEldowney.

References

External links

USDA Plants Profile
mceldowneyi Endemic flora of Hawaii Biota of Maui {{Campanulaceae-stub