'Oha Wai

Clermontia oblongifolia ssp. brevipes

Description

'Oha wai (Clermontia oblongifolia ssp. brevipes ) is a shrub or tree of the bellflower family that reaches a height of 6.6-23 ft (2-7 m). The leaves, on petioles (leaf stalks) 0.7-1.2 in (1.8-3 cm) long, are lance-shaped, have thickened, rounded teeth, reach a length of 2.8-4.3 in (7-11 cm), and have a width of 0.8-2 in (2-5 cm). Two or sometimes three flowers are grouped together on a stalk 0.2-0.4 in
(0.5-1 cm) long, each flower having a stalk 0.4-1.8 in (1-4.5 cm) long. The flower is 2.4-3.1 in (6-8 cm) long. The calyx (fused sepals) and corolla (fused petals) are similar in size and appearance, and each forms an arched tube, which is greenish white or purplish on the outside and white or cream-colored on the inside. The nearly spherical, orange fruit is a berry 0.7-1.2 in (1.8-3 cm) long. This species is distinguished from others in the genus by the structure of its calyx and corolla as well as by the lengths of the flower, the floral lobes, and the green hypanthium. This subspecies differs from others of the species by the shape of its leaves and the lengths of its leaves, leaf stalks, and flower stalks.

Habitat

C. oblongifolia ssp. brevipes typically grows in shallow soil on gulch slopes in wet 'ohi'a dominated forests at elevations between 3,500-3,900 ft (1066-1189 m) on East Molokai.

Distribution

C. oblongifolia ssp. brevipes is known from a single population located in the southeastern part of the Nature Conservancy's Kamakou Preserve on East Molokai. This population, last seen in 1982, is thought to contain fewer than 20 individuals. Another possible population, also from the Kamakou area, has not been seen for more than 40 years and is believed to have been extirpated. Other than this population, the historical range is not known. If the species cannot be found, it may be considered for delisting due to extinction.

Threats

The plant fauna of Molokai has currently fallen vulnerable to habitat degradation and/or predation by wild, feral, or domestic animals (axis deer, goats, pigs, sheep, and cattle); competition for space, light, water, and nutrients by naturalized, exotic species; habitat loss due to fires; predation by rats; human recreational activities; and military exercises.

Overgrazing by axis deer and goats has irreparably damaged much native vegetation of Molokai and Hawaii.

Cattle ranching on Molokai has played a significant role over most of the past 150 years in reducing areas of native vegetation to vast pastures of alien grasses. In 1960 about 61% of Molokai's lands were devoted to grazing, primarily in west and central Molokai. Cattle degrade the habitat by trampling and feeding on vegetation, eventually exposing the ground cover and increasing soil vulnerability to erosion. Red erosional scars resulting from decades of cattle disturbance, exacerbated by other feral ungulate activities, are still evident on West Molokai and the upper elevations of East Molokai. Cattle facilitate the spread of alien grasses and other plants.

Alteration of vegetation limits natural areas. It was here on the upper elevation mesic to wet forests of East Molokai, which the state designated a single protected area: the Molokai Forest Reserve. This reserve accounts for 30% of Molokai land area. Cattle ranching was succeeded in the 1920s by pineapple cultivation. Most of the land used for this agricultural activity had already been altered through the decades of cattle ranching. However, pineapple cultivation contributed to a high degree of erosion until its decline in the 1970s.

Feral pigs are an immediate threat to the habitat of the single remaining population of C. oblongifolia ssp. brevipes. The limited numbers in this occur-rence make the species vulnerable to extinction through a single random natural event. Predation on related species suggests that rats may possibly feed on the fruit or plant parts of C. oblongifolia ssp. brevipes.

Conservation and Recovery

Currently, conservation efforts regarding C. oblongifolia ssp. brevipes are limited. The last observed population was found on land now protected by the Nature Conservancy's Kamakou Preserve.

Contacts

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Regional Office, Division of Endangered Species
Eastside Federal Complex
911 N.E. 11th Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97232-4181
Telephone: (503) 231-6121
http://pacific.fws.gov/

Pacific Joint Venture
300 Ala Moana Blvd., Rm. 3-122
Honolulu, Hawaii 96850-0056
Telephone: (808) 541-2749
Fax: (808) 541-2756

Reference

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 8 October 1992. "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of Endangered or Threatened Status for 16 Plants from the Island of Molokai, Hawaii." Federal Register 57 (196): 46325-45339.