img

Wahlenbergia gracilis

(G.Forst.) A.DC. (1830)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Asterales Family: Campanulaceae Genus: Wahlenbergia

img

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Perennial herb to 80 cm tall.

Stems: Stems slender, angular, sometimes woody at base, (5–)15–40 cm long, unbranched to many-branched, glabrous or pubescent at base.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Basal leaves rosulate and early deciduous. Lower cauline leaves spatulate to obovate below, linear to lanceolate above, 1–4 cm long, 0.2–0.8 cm wide. Surfaces glabrous, juvenile leaves sometimes pubescent. Margins entire to serrate–dentate. Sessile. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in terminal or axillary panicles, pedicellate. Flowers bisexual (perfect); Hypanthium 5–nerved or 10–nerved. Calyx of 5 connate sepals, glabrous; tube adnate to ovary. Corolla actinomorphic or, if zygomorphic, then often laterally fenestrate or dorsally cleft, connate, 5 petals, white to pale blue, 4–15(–25) mm in diameter, campanulate. Stamens 5, alternate with corolla lobes, dark blue to purple; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits, coherent but separating after anthesis or connate and forming a tube into which pollen is shed; filaments distinct, attached to the epigynous nectary disk or to base of corolla, rarely adnate to corolla tube. Ovary inferior to rarely superior, 2–5-celled; ovule placentation axile; stigmas wet or dry, 2–5-lobed, appressed and nonreceptive as the style grows through the anther tube, pushing out the pollen, after which the stigmas spread apart and become receptive; style with as many lobes as cells.

Fruit: Capsules obconical; 6–10 mm long; apically loculicidal. Seeds numerous; small; lenticular or trigonous; smooth or minutely reticulate; with a straight; short to spatulate dicotyledonous embryo embedded in oily endosperm.

Ploidy: 2n = 18; 36; 64

Habitat: Sparingly naturalized in dry; disturbed areas; locally common during wetter months.

Elevation Range: 0–2,850 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

img

Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

O'ahu Only found in cultivation
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Monogr. Campan.: 142 (1830)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:489 (Mo, L, M, H); Herbst et al. 2004:4, 5 (KEY, DESCR); Faccenda, Arthur, et al. 2025:166 (O)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Wahlenbergia gracilis East Maui, along Haleakala Highway Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 2565 Maui BISH 1986-05-21
2 Wahlenbergia gracilis central Preserved_Specimen Uehara, S. 3 Molokai BISH 1962-04-23
3 Wahlenbergia gracilis S of Puu Kolekole, just outside forest reserve Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Molokai BISH 1982-05-21
4 Wahlenbergia gracilis Kamakou Preserve, ridge above Kawela Gulch near intake and gauging station, East Moloka`i. Montane open Metrosideros with shrubs and Dicranopteris Preserved_Specimen Herb with blue flowerrs. Pratt, L.W. 1144 Molokai BISH 1982-05-22
5 Wahlenbergia gracilis Makai of Maunahui exposed, bare, clay ridges with Gnaphalium Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 24955 Molokai BISH 1958-07-30
6 Wahlenbergia gracilis East Maui, Olinda, Hawea Place, Large lawn Rural residential area on mowed slope. Associated vegetation: Pennisetum clandestinum, Persea, Oleander. On weathered ash substrate. Preserved_Specimen Erect herb ca. 3dm; flowers purple. Starr, F. 203101 Maui BISH 2002-03-10
7 Wahlenbergia gracilis Saddle road, 33 miles from Hilo Growing on `a`a with Heterotheca grandiflora and Pellaea ternifolia. Preserved_Specimen Small herb with blue flowers. Davis, J. 606 Hawaii BISH 1981-09-23
8 Wahlenbergia gracilis Hauola W trail heavily deer-grazed ridge below forest Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 2578 Lanai BISH 1986-07-07
9 Wahlenbergia gracilis East fork of Kawela Valley barren grassy hillcrests Preserved_Specimen fls. sky blue Degener, O. 9893 Molokai BISH 1928-05-05
10 Wahlenbergia gracilis Kalaupapa; upper Waikolu on ridge above intake tunnel rock Preserved_Specimen slender, erect perennial herb Wysong, M.L. 744 Molokai BISH 2005-03-30
11 Wahlenbergia gracilis Kamiloloa in grass in the center of the forest road and on disturbed game trails, occasional to locally comm Preserved_Specimen weed, to 40 cm tall and much branched. Stigmas 3-lobed white, corolla bluish-purple or lighter, about 7 mm across, campanulate Hobdy, R.W. 2347 Molokai BISH 1985-04-17
12 Wahlenbergia gracilis Saddle road, 33 miles from Hilo Growing on `a`a with Heterotheca grandiflora and Pellaea ternifolia. Preserved_Specimen Small herb with blue flowers. Davis, J. 606 Hawaii BISH 1981-09-23
13 Wahlenbergia gracilis Schofield Barracks, West Range, Kolekole Ranges, next to training buliding. Canopy of Falcataria moluccana, Eucalyptus sp., Chrysophyllum oliviformis; understory of Urochloa maxima, Paspalum conjugatum, Lepidiuim africanum, and mowed vegetation. Preserved_Specimen Short herb 15 cm tall, growing in field. Leaves inconspicuous, less than 1 cm long; flowers purple, actinomorphic, 6-petaled; fruit present. Isolated group of 3 plants near heavily used training facility. Seedlings present. Beachy, J. 516 Oahu BISH 2019-06-19
14 Wahlenbergia gracilis N Kona, Keauhou 2 AHU, Tr 56(top); Saddle area btwn Mauna Loa and Hualalai, W of 1899 lava flow Dry ohia forest with mixed native trees and a native shrub and mixed grass understory. Preserved_Specimen Herb. Terrestrial rooting in soil Jacobi, J.D. 1186 Hawaii BISH 1978-08-10
15 Wahlenbergia gracilis Kaunakakai AHU; Tr 2 (23/24); Kaulolo, ridge above N fork of Kaunakakai Gulch; W on narrow rd dry native shrub community with scattered mixed trees Preserved_Specimen light blue flowers Jacobi, J.D. 1428 Molokai BISH 1979-06-25
16 Wahlenbergia gracilis Transect 1, west Makakupaia Ridge open-mixed shrub Preserved_Specimen Herb. Flowers dark to light blue Char, W.P. 82.01 Molokai BISH 1982-11-26
17 Wahlenbergia gracilis East Maui, Makawao District, Aapueo, in the Kula 200 subdivision, home on Alokele Pl Growing in gravel driveway; many plants seen. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 79922 Maui BISH 1999-07-11
18 Wahlenbergia gracilis Hale Pohaku, Mauna Kea in crevasses and among rocks Preserved_Specimen herb with long, fleshy taproot; flowers deep blue Nagata, K.M. 1718 Hawaii BISH 1978-07-17
19 Wahlenbergia gracilis Pukoo near beach Preserved_Specimen Flowers delicate light bluish Hosaka, E.Y. 1856 Molokai BISH 1937-04-19
20 Wahlenbergia gracilis summit ridge along Munro Trail at Haalelepaakai Locally common in unpaved parking area Preserved_Specimen flowers blue Oppenheimer, H.L. 122203 Lanai BISH 2022-12-01
21 Wahlenbergia gracilis Mauna Kea; Pohakuloa burn 1979. Pohakuloa above Pohakuloa Military Camp Preserved_Specimen Small blue flowers. Adee, K.T. Hawaii BISH
22 Wahlenbergia gracilis Kamiloloa, Jeep Trail Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 4935 Molokai BISH 1983-08-01
23 Wahlenbergia gracilis Puu Laau, hunter's cabin Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 5213 Hawaii BISH 1975-01-18
Back to Top