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Kadua formosa

Hillebr. (1888)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Gentianales Family: Rubiaceae Genus: Kadua

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Subshrubs up to 10 dm tall.

Stems: Main stem prostrate, hollow, somewhat quadrangular or 4–costate, glabrous.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades lanceolate to elliptic or oblong, 5.5–14 cm long (1.6–)2.3–4.5 cm wide. Apex acuminate. Base cuneate. Blades coriaceous. Margins entire. Lateral veins strongly ascending, higher order venation on lower surface conspicuously reticulate. Petioles 0.2–0.4 cm long. Stipules broadly deltate, 3.5– 4.5 mm long, adnate to petioles and forming a persistent sheath, apex long acuminate.

Flowers: Flowers in dense corymbose inflorescences subtended by 2 cordate bracts, often with a lateral inflorescence in each, central flower of the ultimate cyme sessile or on a pedicel shorter than that of the 2 lateral cymes, lateral pedicels ca. 1–2 mm long; hypanthium cylindrical-turbinate, ca. 2 mm long. Flowers insect-pollinated, bisexual (perfect) or sometimes functionally unisexual, often heterostylous. Calyx lobes bluntly deltate, 0.1–1 mm long, 0.6–0.7 mm wide, not enlarging in fruit. Corolla white, fleshy salverform, the tube 20–26 mm long, the limb not strongly quadrangular in bud, the lobes ca. 6–7 mm long; nectary disc present. Stamens as many as and alternate with the corolla lobes, inserted somewhat below corolla throat; anthers sessile or on short filaments, dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary inferior or partly so, 2(-4)-locular; ovules few to numerous on fleshy placentas near middle of septum; style as many as carpels, glabrous, the lobes flattened, terminal, slender; stigma bilobed or subcapitate, included or exserted.

Fruit: Capsules ellipsoid–cylindrical; 9–12 mm long; 3–3.5 mm in diameter; dehiscing loculicidally across disk; then septicidally; endocarp heavily sclerified; disk depressed–conical. Seeds dark brown to nearly black; peltate; angled; with well-developed oily endosperm; or endosperm occasionally scanty or absent.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Known only from wet cliffs.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Endemic

Island Status

Kaua'i Only found in cultivation
Maui Endemic

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Fl. Hawaiian Isl.: 165 (1888)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1145 (WM [as Hedyotis formosa]); Terrell et al. 2005:832/Kennedy et al. 2010:24 (Syn. H. formosa = K. formosa)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Kadua formosa W Maui, Honokowai Gulch Preserved_Specimen Hillebrand, W.B. Maui BISH
2 Kadua formosa Maui Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. Maui BISH
3 Kadua formosa Near Iao Needle, Wailuku On exposed, dripping cliffs. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 23646 Maui BISH 1954-07-30
4 Kadua formosa W Maui, Waihee Valley Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. Maui BISH 1918-09-01
5 Kadua formosa Kaanapali & Waihee Preserved_Specimen Hillebrand, W.B. Maui BISH 1870-01-01
6 Kadua formosa Wailuku District, W Maui Forest Reserve, Gulch E side of Iao Needle, between N fork of Kinihapai Stream and Ae Stream, Iao Valley Moist cliffs on upper slopes of W side of gulch. Preserved_Specimen Lammers, T.G. 5577 Maui BISH 1984-07-02
7 Kadua formosa Puu Kukui Watershed, collection made on the west bank of Honokohau Stream, 2 meters above the watercourse Made on a cliff face. Vegetation in the area is consistent with that of Lowland Wet Shrubland. Assoc. Vegetation: Metrosideros polymorpha, Boehmeria grandis, Odontosoria chinensis, Buddleia asiatica, Setaria gracilis, Blechnum occidentale, Adiantum raddiamum. Threats: Specimen is located within the Pu`u Kukui Watershed Management Area and is currently subject to aggressive management. However, competition with alien vegetation and landslides may threaten the viability of this taxa in certain areas. Preserved_Specimen Meidell, J.S. 131 Maui BISH 1996-08-29
8 Kadua formosa West Maui, Lahaina, Kahoma Stream, S side Along short stretch of stream, above intake to ~300 m upstream, vertical basalt cliffs. Associated vegetation: Metrosideros, Artemisia, Blechnum, Buddleia, Adiantum, Lythrum, Pneumatopteris. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 60716 Maui BISH 2007-06-19
9 Kadua formosa West Maui, Lahaina District, Honokowai, Amalu Stream. on vertical slopes 2-20 m above stream, mostly on south side. Vegetation: Degraded Metrosideros/Diospyros forest with Coffea, Psidium, Pisonia, Psychotria, Pneumatopteris, Freycinetia, Selaginella, Passiflora, Rubus, Bidens, Ageratina, Setaria, Pluchea, Cyrtandra, Pneumatopteris, Paspalum. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 100808 Maui BISH 2008-10-07
10 Kadua formosa West Maui, Lahaina District, Kaua`ula Stream, north fork. on vertical walls along perennial stream. Vegetation: Artemisia, Lysimachia, Blechnum, Adiantum, Psilotum. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 81210 Maui BISH 2012-08-08
11 Kadua formosa Puu Kukui Watershed, collection made on the west bank of Honokohau Stream, 2 meters above the watercourse Made on a cliff face. Vegetation in the area is consistent with that of Lowland Wet Shrubland. Assoc. Vegetation: Metrosideros polymorpha, Boehmeria grandis, Odontosoria chinensis, Buddleia asiatica, Setaria gracilis, Blechnum occidentale, Adiantum raddiamum. Threats: Specimen is located within the Pu`u Kukui Watershed Management Area and is currently subject to aggressive management. However, competition with alien vegetation and landslides may threaten the viability of this taxa in certain areas. Preserved_Specimen Meidell, J.S. 131 Maui BISH 1996-08-29
12 Kadua formosa W Maui, Waikapu Canyon Growing on cliff faces exculsively. Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 1681 Maui BISH 1982-09-09
13 Kadua formosa West Maui, Lahaina District, Hahakea Gulch Both sides of stream, from 1 to 8m above stream. Vegetation: Pneumatopteris, Tectaria, Urera, Boehmeria, Pipturus, Artemisia, Peperomia, Metrosideros, Buddleia, Blechnum, Adiantum, Verbena. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 20618 Maui BISH 2006-02-22
14 Kadua formosa Kanapali Preserved_Specimen Hillebrand, W.B. Maui BISH
15 Kadua formosa Lahiana District. W Maui, Kauaula Valley, back of valley, upper N fork of river. Metrosideros-Cheirodendron wet forest, 8 - 12 m tall canopy, riparian w/ saturated talus & seeping, vertical basalt walls, steep Dicranopteris banks. Understory w/ Touchardia, Broussaisia, Coprosma pubescens, Boehmeria, Pipturus, Diplazium, Cyrtandra spp., Kadua spp., Cyanea scabra, Gunnera. Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 13483 Maui BISH 2009-02-18
16 Kadua formosa W Maui, Waihee Valley Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 16007 Maui BISH 1918-09-01
17 Kadua formosa W Maui, Waikapu Valley Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 139 Maui BISH 1910-06-01
18 Kadua formosa Honokahau Drainage Basin Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 357 Maui BISH 1917-09-25
19 Kadua formosa Koloa, Lawai Valley, NTBG, Pump 6 nursery Preserved_Specimen Dunn, L. 172 Kauai BISH 2003-04-24
20 Kadua formosa W Maui, Waihee Valley Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 16007 Maui BISH 1918-09-01
21 Kadua formosa Koloa, NTBG, Lawai, McBryde Garden, nursery by pump 6 Preserved_Specimen Lorence, D.H. 8842 Kauai BISH 2002-02-25
22 Kadua formosa W Maui, Iao Valley. In valley N of Lao rd, before you hit parking lot Preserved_Specimen Motley, T.J. 1945 Maui BISH 1998-05-29
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