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Hibiscus hannerae

(O.Deg. & I.Deg.) Heintzman & Deans (2025)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Genus: Hibiscus

koki‘o ke‘oke‘o [kokio keokeo], koki‘o kea, miniature Hawaiian white hibiscus

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Gray–barked trees 6–10 m tall.

Stems: Branches, petioles, and pedicels copiously closely stellate pubescent.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades orbicular to broadly ovate–elliptic, 5–18(–25) cm long, 3–13(–18) cm wide. Apex obtuse to acute. Base obtuse to truncate. Lower surfaces grayish velvety tomentose; upper surfaces less densely pubescent or glabrous. Margins inconspicuously to moderately crenate or crenate–serrate. Petioles usually less than ½ as long as blades. Stipules filiform, 5–8 mm long, early deciduous.

Flowers: Flowers strongly fragrant, solitary, born near the ends of branches; pedicels 2–3 cm long, articulate, copiously closely stellate pubescent; involucral bracts 7–8, linear-lanceolate, 8–10 mm long. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Calyx tubular, 2–2.5 cm long, composed of connate sepals; 5-lobed, often accrescent in fruit, lobes 8–15 mm long, tube usually splitting longitudinally in fruit, veins obscure or prominent, sometimes with a gland on midrib of each lobe, lobes valvate in bud. Corolla actinomorphic to moderately zygomorphic, corolla of 5 petals, flaring, adnate basally to the staminal column to form a tube 1.5-cm long, opening white in the morning, fading to pinkish in the afternoon, usually broadly obovate, 4-6 cm long, lower surface usually densely pubescent, convolute in bud. Stamens 5 to numerous, monadelphous, forming a staminal column; staminal column exserted, reddish to crimson apically, up to 15 cm long; filaments arising in upper ½ of staminal column, spreading, up to 2.5 cm long; anthers monothecal. Pollen globose, echinate. Ovary superior, 5-celled or rarely appearing 10-celled by a vertical partition, the carpels borne in a single whorl or rarely seemingly superposed whorls, placentation axile; ovules 3 or more per cell; style exceeding the staminal column, 5-branched, each branch terminated by an expanded stigma.

Fruit: Loculicidally dehiscent capsules; cartilaginous; obovoid; apiculate; to 1.8–2.5 cm long; glabrous; exocarp and endocarp sometimes separating at maturity. Seeds angular–reniform; ca. 4 mm long; brownish tomentose; with or without endosperm.

Ploidy: 2n = 84*

Habitat: Diverse mesic forest.

Elevation Range: 250–1200 m.

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Endemic

Island Status

Kaua'i Endemic

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Bishop Mus. Occas. Pap. 163: 241 (2025)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:889 (K [as H. waimeae subsp. hannerae]); Staples & Herbst 2005:387 (KEY), 391 (DESCR); Thomas, Magnacca, et al. 2025:241 (COMBNOV, STATNOV, Syn. H. w. subsp. hannerae = H. hannerae)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Hibiscus hannerae Limahuli Valley In valley bottom along stream. in predominantly guava forest Preserved_Specimen 2 trees ca. 20 ft. Pedicel reddish. Petals white, underside with prominent reddish-pink veins and right one-third of petal tinged yellow. Staminal column reddish, stigmas red with base of style white. Petioles of young leaves reddish. Flynn, T.W. 1448 Kauai BISH 1985-12-17
2 Hibiscus hannerae Kalihiwai Preserved_Specimen Lydgate, J.M. Kauai BISH 1913-01-01
3 Hibiscus hannerae Hanalei Dist. (near boundry with Waimea Dist.), upper part of Limahuli Valley from ridge separating Limahuli & Hanakapei Valleys (710 m) down to Limahuli Stream (520 m) above big waterfall Nearly undisturbed rain forest with Metrosideros & Syzygium dominant. Preserved_Specimen Tree of 4 m., corolla white, staminal column red, flowers faintly fragrant. Ripe fruit splitting. Loaclly frequent. Lorence, D.H. 5715 Kauai BISH 1987-12-10
4 Hibiscus hannerae Limahuli Valley Steep river gorge somewhat shallow, constantly moist soil. Preserved_Specimen Wichman, C. Kauai BISH 1978-02-19
5 Hibiscus hannerae Hanalei District; up eastern side gulch of main Hanakapiai stream, before Hanakapiai falls; towards the back of the gulch on the left side then just to the right of the right of ridge where 0001 is located; up right side of gulch growing with mixed native & non-native plant species on moderate slope; w/psidium guajava, clidemia hirta, freycinetia arborea, pisonia sandwicensis, lantana camara, antidesma platyphyllum, cyrtandra sp. Preserved_Specimen large shrub to small tree, about 23 feet tall; three main trunks splitting about four feet from base; branches covered in freydinetia arborea; in bud & flower Walsh, S. 327 Kauai BISH 2016-08-25
6 Hibiscus hannerae Hanalei District; up eastern side gulch of main Hanakapiai stream, before Hanakapiai falls; then up secondary gulch to the right; then next smaller gulch to the right, on left side; just over the ridge starting to go o under partial canopy (about 10%) growing with mixed native & non-native plant species on rocky substrate with moderate slope; with pisonia sandwicensis, clidemia hirta, lantana camara, hedychium gardnerianum, cyclosorus parasiticus, cyrtandra confertiflora, antidesma sp Preserved_Specimen tree with three main branches from about one feet above ground; first branching starts about 10 feet up from ground level; HIB WAI HAN IAI B 0016 Walsh, S. 259 Kauai BISH 2016-07-07
7 Hibiscus hannerae Hanalei District; up eastern side gulch of main Hanakapiai stream, before Hanakapiai falls; towards the back of the gulch on the left side then just to the right of the right of ridge where 0001 is located; up right side of gulch, sam growing with mixed native & non-native plant species on steep NW facing slope; w/psidium guajava, clidemia hirta, freycinetia arborea, pisonia sandwicensis, lantana camara, antidesma platyphyllum, cyrtandra sp. Preserved_Specimen large shrub to small tree, about 28 ft tall; two main stems forkabout 3.5 feet up from base; in flower, bud & immature fruit Walsh, S. 326 Kauai BISH 2016-08-25
8 Hibiscus hannerae Hanalei District. Lower Limahuli Preserve. Back of valley, up last gulch on the left before waterfall. Mixed mesic forest W/ Metrosideros polymorpha, Pisonia sandwicensis, Psidium guajave, Freycinetia arborea, Clidemia hirta, Cyrtandra sp., Cyathea cooperi Preserved_Specimen Tree about 23 feet tall. Looks like two clumps but all connected at base. Flowers white and fragrant with ample, sweet nectar. Walsh, S. 534 Kauai BISH 2017-08-15
9 Hibiscus hannerae Hanalei District; up eastern side gulch of main Hanakapiai stream, before Hanakapiai falls; towards the back of the gulch on the left side then just to the right of the right of ridge where 0001 is located; up right side of gulch, growing with mixed native & non-native plant species on ridge in flat area; w/psidium guajava, clidemia hirta, freycinetia arborea, pisonia sandwicensis, lantana camara, antidesma platyphyllum, cyrtandra sp. Preserved_Specimen large shrub to small tree, about 20ft tall; forking into two main branches about 3 feet up from base; in bud & flowert Walsh, S. 328 Kauai BISH 2016-08-25
10 Hibiscus hannerae Hanalei, Lower Limahuli Valley, Hau island halfway to waterfall moderately disturbed lowland mesic riparian island with a history of restoration. Ceodes - Psidium - Hibiscus forest Ceodes umbellifera, Hibiscus waimeae hannerae, Psidium guajava, Aleurites moluccana, clidemia hirta, Pipturus albidus, Hibiscus tiliaceous, Musa sp., Cordyline fruiticosa, Dioscorea pentaphylla, Dioscor... Preserved_Specimen 18 ft tall tree in line on East side of riparian island between HIBWAIHAN-KA-LIM-G-0002 and -0003. Many stemmed low branching individual with largest trunk about 4 inches in diameter at standard height. Flower and early fruit. U. Nagendra 411 Kauai BISH 2023-09-14
11 Hibiscus hannerae Limahuli Valley Wet ohia-Cheirodendron-uluhe forest. Preserved_Specimen Tree 15 ft x 8- 10 m. Perlman, S. 197 Kauai BISH 1978-07-05
12 Hibiscus hannerae Hanalei District. Upper Limahuli Preserve. Up small gulch from lower weatherport. About 15 feet up and to the left from 0003. Mesic to wet forest with predominately native vegetation. Northeast facing slope with Metrosideros polymorpha, Dicranopteris linearis, Freycinetia arborea, Microlepia strigosa, Diplazium sp., Antidesma platyphyllum, Clidemia hirta, Blechnum sp., Elaphoglossum sp., Psychotria marina. Preserved_Specimen Tree about 26 feet tall with about 16 large shoots. Herbivory and florivory. In bud, flower and immature fruit. Walsh, S. 451 Kauai BISH 2017-07-11
13 Hibiscus hannerae Hanalei District; up eastern side gulch of main Hanakapiai stream, before Hanakapiai falls; towards the back of the gulch on the left side then just to the right of the right of ridge where 0001 is located; up right side of gulch growing with mixed native & non-native plant species, on steep slope; w/pidium guajava, clidemia hirta, freycinetia arborea, pisonia sandwicensis, lantan camara, antidesma platyphyllum, cyrtandra sp. Preserved_Specimen large scrub to small tree; in bud & flower; florivory Walsh, S. 320 Kauai BISH 2016-08-25
14 Hibiscus hannerae Preserve in back of Limahuli Valley, above waterfall. Upper Limahuli, Hanalei District Lowland wet forest with Ilex anomala, Psychotria spp., Hedyotis spp., Melicope spp., Antidesma, and Metrosideros polymorpha, canopy severely damaged by Hurrican Iniki (1992), now heavily invaded by Clidemia hirta. Preserved_Specimen Riparian tree 5 m. tall, 17 cm. diam. basally, branches erect. Petole dk. purple-red. Fruiting calyx & capsules red tinged. Endemic. Lorence, D.H. 8011 Kauai BISH 1997-06-17
15 Hibiscus hannerae Hanalei District In Limahuli Garden forest walk Native forest walk section of Limahuli garden Preserved_Specimen Cultivated plant growing from a cutting from an untagged wild plant in Upper Limahuli Preserve. Deans, S.M. 191 Kauai BISH 2016-08-13
16 Hibiscus hannerae Hanakapiae: Hanakapiai Valley, in the amphitheater below Honoonapali a little ways above the 20 ft waterfall (difficult to scale) Preserved_Specimen 7 or 8 trees up to 12 m tall with 15 - 25 cm dia trunks. Trees in bloom, fls small similar to H. aromotianus var arnotianus f parviflorus with short petals & long exserted pittil. Hobdy, R.W. 1827 Kauai BISH 1983-08-23
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