Cuphea ignea

A.DC. (1849)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Myrtales Family: Lythraceae Genus: Cuphea

cigar flower, firecracker plant, pua kīkā [pua kika]

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Spreading shrubs.

Stems: Stems 3–5 dm long, many-branched, subglabrous.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades lanceolate to narrowly ovate or elliptic, 20–45 mm long, 5–12 mm wide. Apex acuminate. Base narrowly cuneate. Surfaces finely scabrous. Margins entire. Petioles 1–7 mm long. Stipules minute or absent.

Flowers: Flowers solitary in the leaf axils, pedicels 5–10 mm long. Calyx teeth 6, spreading, the lower ones slightly longer, usually with small appendages alternating with the teeth, valvate, appearing as lobes on the floral tube. Corolla (petals) absent. Stamens 6–14, conspicuously exserted unevenly 2–4 mm beyond the floral tube; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, 2–4(–6)-carpellate, with as many cells, at least at base, rarely 1-celled, placentation axile, rarely parietal when 1-celled; ovules 2 to numerous, anatropous, ascending; style 1, filiform; stigma slightly 2-lobed.

Fruit: Capsules membranous; oblong–ovoid; loculicidally dehiscent laterally; the adjacent wall of the floral tube also splitting along its length and the placenta projecting laterally out of the capsules; 8–10 mm long. Seeds (1) to numerous; reddish brown; suborbicular; ca. 2 mm in diameter; endosperm absent or very scanty.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

O'ahu Only found in cultivation
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Other Animals

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Fl. Serres Jard. Eur. 5: 500 C (1849)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:866 (H); Staples & Herbst 2005:373 (KEY), 374 (DESCR)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Cuphea ignea Honolulu, 908 Kamilonui Rd potted in full sun Preserved_Specimen Subshrub of 0.3 m. Corolla orange red except for the corolla limp which is blackish purple with a white section. Flower odorless (morning) Lau, J. 1849 Oahu BISH 1986-01-13
2 Cuphea ignea Laie Preserved_Specimen McEldowney, G.A. Oahu BISH 1931-10-05
3 Cuphea ignea Laie Preserved_Specimen McEldowney, G.A. Oahu BISH 1931-10-05
4 Cuphea ignea Honokanemui Valley wet sunny banks of trail Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 21914 Hawaii BISH 1952-02-18
5 Cuphea ignea Honolulu: Manoa Valley; Lyon Arboretum; Harrison Area open shade Preserved_Specimen Calycine tube bright red; weak shrub to 3'. Nagata, K.M. 1277 Oahu BISH 1975-08-26
6 Cuphea ignea Honokaa, Kohala small open gulch above sugar cane planting Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 9665 Hawaii BISH 1926-07-28
7 Cuphea ignea Punaluu moist Preserved_Specimen small, smooth, shrubby, leafy, petal-less flowers; narrow calyx tube Mackelprang, J. 617 Oahu BISH 1977-04-01
8 Cuphea ignea Volcano Road Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 1043 Hawaii BISH 1915-07-02
9 Cuphea ignea Honolulu, 3115 Kaloaluiki garden; filtered light Preserved_Specimen Shrub to 5'; flowers bright orange Staples, G.W. 590 Oahu BISH 1990-04-14
10 Cuphea ignea Olaa, Winsley garden Preserved_Specimen low, bushy, subshrub; flowers red with maroon and white limb Fosberg, F.R. 10062 Hawaii BISH 1933-08-28
11 Cuphea ignea Honolulu, 3115 Kaloaluiki Preserved_Specimen Erect shrubby to 3-4'; flowers bright orange. Kadowaki, A. Oahu BISH 1990-03-03