LobelioidsLobelioids

HahaHaha

• How and when did Lobelioids come How and when did Lobelioids come to arrive in Hawai’i?to arrive in Hawai’i?

• In what ways have they adapted to In what ways have they adapted to Hawaiian habitats?Hawaiian habitats?

• How have each of the endemic How have each of the endemic species adapted?species adapted?

• What are the causes of some species What are the causes of some species disappearing?disappearing?

How Lobelioids reached the How Lobelioids reached the Hawaiian archipelagoHawaiian archipelago

•Indo-pacific region•tropical climate •growing conditions

•Andes: fleshly fruited lobelia

•Centropogon, Burmeistera

•Seeds carried by muddy birds

•4,000 mile trip

•roughly 5 million year ago

Makai to maukaMakai to mauka

• Deposited along coast the islandsDeposited along coast the islands

• Adapted inland to less harsh climateAdapted inland to less harsh climate– Makai to mauka : coast to forestMakai to mauka : coast to forest

AdaptationsAdaptations

• ArborescenceArborescence

• GigantismGigantism

• ProtectionProtection

• DispersalDispersal

• PollinationPollination

Most all of these adaptations can be attributed to Hawaii’s mild climate which stimulates year round growth

ArborescenceArborescence “becoming a tree”“becoming a tree”

• Weedy forms okay as Weedy forms okay as colonistcolonist

• Evolve to be more treelike Evolve to be more treelike to match densely to match densely vegetated areasvegetated areas

• Woody forms can compete Woody forms can compete best for lightbest for light

• Rosetta/whorl of leaves Rosetta/whorl of leaves

• GigantismGigantism– Seeds, leaves Seeds, leaves

(rosette), height(rosette), height

• DispersalDispersal– TermatolobiaTermatolobia– ““salt shaker”salt shaker”

ProtectionProtection

– spikes/teeth on some spikes/teeth on some juvenile plants of cyanea juvenile plants of cyanea and rollandiaand rollandia

– Fall off when adulthood Fall off when adulthood reachedreached

– some “permanently some “permanently juvenile”juvenile”• Cyanea marksiiCyanea marksii

– Land snails and some Land snails and some insectsinsects

• PollinationPollination– Hawk mothHawk moth– HoneycreepersHoneycreepers

• Clermontia excessive flower Clermontia excessive flower typestypes

LobelioidsLobelioids

• DelisseaDelissea

• CyaneaCyanea

• RollandiaRollandia

• ClermontiaClermontia

• LobeliaLobelia

• TrematolobeliaTrematolobelia

• BrighamiaBrighamia

DelisseDelisseaa• Best represents Best represents

features of immigrants features of immigrants – Large seeds Large seeds

– Numerous flowered Numerous flowered inflorescentinflorescent

• Distinguished byDistinguished by– Large wrinkled Large wrinkled

seedsseeds– Pimple like Pimple like

projection on flowerprojection on flower

• Habitat: dry forestHabitat: dry forest

•Site of original Site of original colonizationcolonization

CyaneaCyaneahaha, haha nui, haha lua, 'aku'aku, haha, haha nui, haha lua, 'aku'aku,

popolo, pua kala, 'akupopolo, pua kala, 'aku • Much more diversified and Much more diversified and

common than delisseacommon than delissea

• Habitat : wet shade forestsHabitat : wet shade forests

• Spikes/spines on juvenile Spikes/spines on juvenile plants plants

• Absent when adulthood Absent when adulthood reachedreached

• Cyanea marksii never Cyanea marksii never “grows up”“grows up”

RollandiaRollandia• Stamens are adherent to Stamens are adherent to

collolacollola

• Rosetta treelike species has Rosetta treelike species has adapted to many varied adapted to many varied habitatshabitats

• Lower wet to upper dry areasLower wet to upper dry areas– R. lanceolata : wide hairy R. lanceolata : wide hairy

leaves leaves

• Deep shady gulchesDeep shady gulches– R. pinnatifida : juvenile R. pinnatifida : juvenile

plant has toothed leaves; plant has toothed leaves; adult losses teethadult losses teeth

• Windy wet ridgesWindy wet ridges– R. st johnii : short stem, R. st johnii : short stem,

leaves curled with leaves curled with protective shiny surfaceprotective shiny surface

ClermontiaClermontia'oha, 'oha wai, 'oha wai nui, haha, haha'aiakamanu, 'oha, 'oha wai, 'oha wai nui, haha, haha'aiakamanu,

Diversification in flowers Diversification in flowers

Sepals unusually long, some as long as the Sepals unusually long, some as long as the petalspetals

Main pollinator honeycreeperMain pollinator honeycreeper

LobeliaLobelia oha oha oror ohawai ohawai

• Only genus occurring Only genus occurring else where in the else where in the worldworld

• Typically wet places Typically wet places world wideworld wide

• Large rosettes on top Large rosettes on top of huge stalksof huge stalks

• Plant dies after fruitingPlant dies after fruiting

TrematolobeliaTrematolobelia koli’ikoli’i

• One species, with many varietiesOne species, with many varieties

• Specializes in seed dispersal Specializes in seed dispersal

• Lives in the wettest placesLives in the wettest places

Brighamia Brighamia puaala, aluli, ohahahpuaala, aluli, ohahah

• Grows on the steep Grows on the steep cliffs of Kavai, Molokai cliffs of Kavai, Molokai (& formerly Niihau)(& formerly Niihau)

Characteristically a Characteristically a single rosette of single rosette of leaves on top of a leaves on top of a thick succulent stemthick succulent stem

What are some causes of What are some causes of disappearance?disappearance?• Loss of dispersibilityLoss of dispersibility• Loss of competitivenessLoss of competitiveness

– Invasive speciesInvasive species• Human activityHuman activity

– Loss of habitatLoss of habitat– Introduction of livestockIntroduction of livestock

• Loss of pollinatorsLoss of pollinators– Mamo and I’iwiMamo and I’iwi– Fewer Hawk mothsFewer Hawk moths

• Unknown reasonsUnknown reasons

• 95% of native Hawaiian plants occur 95% of native Hawaiian plants occur nowhere else in the worldnowhere else in the world

• Hawaii has 100s of species of plants Hawaii has 100s of species of plants and animals on the endangered and animals on the endangered species listspecies list

• More plants and animal species have More plants and animal species have disappeared from the Hawaiian disappeared from the Hawaiian islands than all of North Americaislands than all of North America

• Lobelioids arrived in the Lobelioids arrived in the Hawaiian archipelago Hawaiian archipelago millions of years ago and millions of years ago and have since has uniquely have since has uniquely adapted drastically inadapted drastically in– HabitatHabitat– Growth formGrowth form– Pollination Pollination

requirements requirements

• Although many lobelioid Although many lobelioid species have become species have become obsolete many are still obsolete many are still thriving and surviving!thriving and surviving!

Aloha

bibliographybibliography

• Carquest, Sherwin. Carquest, Sherwin. Hawaii: A Natural HistoryHawaii: A Natural History. Honolulu: SB . Honolulu: SB printers,inc.1980printers,inc.1980

• Carr, Dr. Gerald. U of Hawaii Botany Department. Carr, Dr. Gerald. U of Hawaii Botany Department. <http://www.botany.hawaii.edu><http://www.botany.hawaii.edu>

• Fosberg, Raymond F., and Dieter Mueller-Dombois. Fosberg, Raymond F., and Dieter Mueller-Dombois. Vegitation of the Tropical Pacific Islands. Vegitation of the Tropical Pacific Islands. New York: New York: Springer-Verlag.1998Springer-Verlag.1998

• Herbst, Sohmer, and Warren L. Wagner. Herbst, Sohmer, and Warren L. Wagner. Manual of the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii.Flowering Plants of Hawaii.2vols. Honolulu: U of Hawaii 2vols. Honolulu: U of Hawaii Press.1990Press.1990

• Millen, Priscilla. U of Hawaii Distance Education Web Page. Millen, Priscilla. U of Hawaii Distance Education Web Page. <<http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/millen/bot130/http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/millen/bot130/>>

• New York Botanical Garden. Vascular Plant Type Catalog. New York Botanical Garden. Vascular Plant Type Catalog. <http://www.nybg.org/bsci/hcol/vasc/campanulaceae.html><http://www.nybg.org/bsci/hcol/vasc/campanulaceae.html>