Cyanea superba

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
PLANTAE	TRACHEOPHYTA	MAGNOLIOPSIDA	CAMPANULALES	CAMPANULACEAE

Scientific Name:

Cyanea superba

Species Authority:

(Cham.) A.Gray

Infra-specific Taxa Assessed:

See Cyanea superba ssp. regina

See Cyanea superba ssp. superba

Common Name/s:

English

–

Superb Cyanea

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Extinct in the Wild ver 3.1

Year Published:

2003

Assessor/s:

Bruegmann, M.M. & Caraway, V.

Reviewer/s:

Maunder, M. (Plant Conservation Committee) & Hilton-Taylor, C. (Red List Programme Office)

Contributor/s:

Justification:
Cyanea superba was endemic to the island of O'ahu, Hawaii. It was known from the northern Waianae Mountains and the southern Koolau Mountains. Only the Waianae subspecies superba was known to be extant. More than 60 plants in two subpopulations were known in the 1970s. The subspecies (and species) then declined down to only one subpopulation containing about five plants. But those too have now finally gone. The major threats to the species and its habitats were alien plants, feral pigs, slugs and fire.

History:

1998	–	Critically Endangered (Oldfield et al. 1998)
1998	–	Critically Endangered

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Cyanea superba was endemic to the island of O'ahu, Hawaii. It was known from the northern Waianae Mountains and the southern Koolau Mountains. The subspecies regina was historically present in the southern Koolau Mountains, but has not been collected since 1932. After its collection in 1870, there were no further documented sightings of Cyanea superba ssp. superba until its rediscovery in the Waianae Mountains in 1971.
Countries:	Regionally extinct: United States (Hawaiian Is.)
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Grew in the understorey of lowland forest (535–700 m).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The major threats to the species and its habitats included invasive alien plants, predation by feral pigs, and rats and slugs. Other major threats included wildfires generated by activities in the nearby military firing range. The restricted range of the species also made it very vulnerable to small local disturbances, and hence the last few individuals were easily destroyed.

Major Threat(s):

The major threats to the species and its habitats included invasive alien plants, predation by feral pigs, and rats and slugs. Other major threats included wildfires generated by activities in the nearby military firing range. The restricted range of the species also made it very vulnerable to small local disturbances, and hence the last few individuals were easily destroyed.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Protective measures and planting were being carried out at Pahole as part of a Recovery Plan. The taxon is listed under the US Endangered Species Act. Plants are still extant in botanic gardens.

Conservation Actions:

Protective measures and planting were being carried out at Pahole as part of a Recovery Plan. The taxon is listed under the US Endangered Species Act. Plants are still extant in botanic gardens.

Citation:	Bruegmann, M.M. & Caraway, V. 2003. Cyanea superba. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 19 June 2013.
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