Cyanea (plant)
Cyanea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Campanulaceae that are endemic to Hawaii. The name Cyanea in Hawaiian is hāhā.
Ecology
These Hawaiian lobelioids are endemic to Hawaii with over 90% of Cyanea species are found only on one island in the Hawaiian chain. They grow in moist and wet forest habitat and are largely pollinated by birds such as the Hawaiian honeycreepers, and the seeds are dispersed by birds that take the fruits.
Description
Most Cyanea are trees with few branches or none. The inflorescence is a raceme of 4 to 45 flowers which grows from the leaf axils. The fruit is a fleshy berry.
Evolutionary anachronism
There have been several theories regarding the evolution of large prickles on these plants that are endemic to islands that lack any mammalian or reptilian herbivores. One such theory suggests that the prickles are a defense against herbivory by the moa-nalo, a few taxa of flightless ducks that went extinct on the islands within the last 1600 years, an example of evolutionary anachronism.
Species
There are about 78 species in the genus. Species include:Cyanea aculeatiflora - Haleakala cyaneaCyanea acuminata - Honolulu cyaneaCyanea angustifolia - hāhā, aku, Cyanea arborea - palmtree cyaneaCyanea asarifolia - gingerleaf cyaneaCyanea aspleniifolia - spleenwort cyaneaCyanea calycina - Waianae Range rollandia, Oahu cyaneaCyanea comata - Maui cyaneaCyanea copelandii - treetrunk cyanea Cyanea coriacea - leatherleaf cyanea Cyanea crispa - Koolau Range rollandia Cyanea cylindrocalyx - Splitleaf cyaneaCyanea dolichopoda - long-foot cyaneaCyanea dunbariae - ravine cyaneaCyanea duvalliorumCyanea eleeleensis - eleele cyaneaCyanea elliptica - ellipticleaf cyaneaCyanea fissa - Kauai cyanea Cyanea floribunda - Degener's cyaneaCyanea giffardii - Kilauea Mauna cyanea Cyanea gibsoniiCyanea glabra - smooth cyaneaCyanea grimesiana - splitleaf cyaneaCyanea habenata - stream-bed cyaneaCyanea hamatiflora - wetforest cyaneaCyanea hardyi - Oahu cyaneaCyanea heluensisCyanea hirtella - rustyleaf cyaneaCyanea horrida - prickly cyanea, holokea, hāhā nuiCyanea humboldtiana - Oahu rollandiaCyanea kahiliensis - spoonleaf cyaneaCyanea kauaulaensisCyanea kolekoleensis - kolekole cyaneaCyanea konahuanuiensis - Hāhā miliohuCyanea koolauensis - Palolo Valley rollandiaCyanea kuhihewa - Limahuli Valley cyaneaCyanea kunthiana - Kunth's cyanea Cyanea lanceolata - lanceleaf cyanea Cyanea leptostegia - giant kokee cyaneaCyanea linearifolia - linearleaf cyaneaCyanea lobata - Waihee Valley cyaneaCyanea longiflora - ridge rollandiaCyanea longissima - streambank cyaneaCyanea macrostegia - purple cyaneaCyanea magnicalyxCyanea mannii - Mann's cyaneaCyanea maritaeCyanea marksii - Marks' cyaneaCyanea mauiensis - Maui cyaneaCyanea mceldowneyi - McEldowney's cyaneaCyanea membranacea - papery cyaneaCyanea minutiflora Cyanea munroi - Munro's cyaneaCyanea obtusa - bluntlobe cyaneaCyanea parvifolia - Waioli Valley rollandia Cyanea pilosa - hairy cyanea Cyanea pinnatifida - sharktail cyaneaCyanea platyphylla - puna cyaneaCyanea pohaku - pohaku cyaneaCyanea procera - Molokai cyaneaCyanea profuga - Mapulehu Valley cyaneaCyanea pseudofauriei - hāhāCyanea purpurellifolia - Panaluu Mountain rollandia Cyanea pycnocarpa - manyfruit cyanea Cyanea quercifolia - oakleaf cyanea Cyanea recta - Kealia cyaneaCyanea remyi - Remy's cyaneaCyanea rivularis - plateau cyanea Cyanea salicina - willow cyanea Cyanea scabra - harsh cyanea Cyanea sessilifolia - sessileleaf cyanea Cyanea shipmanii - Shipman's cyaneaCyanea solanacea - popoloCyanea solenocalyx - pua kala, molokaiCyanea spathulata - spoonleaf cyanea Cyanea st.-johnii - St. John's rollandiaCyanea stictophylla - Kaiholena cyaneaCyanea superba - Mt. Kaala cyaneaCyanea tritomantha - aku aku, akuCyanea truncata - Punaluu cyaneaCyanea undulata - leechleaf cyanea