Gouania vitifolia

Gouania vitifolia, also known as gray Oʻahu chewstick, is a critically endangered flowering plant in the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae that is endemic to Hawaii. There are less than 50 known remaining plants, many of which are believed to have perished in a 2018 wildfire.[2]

Gouania vitifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rhamnaceae
Genus: Gouania
Species:
G. vitifolia
Binomial name
Gouania vitifolia
A.Gray, 1854[1]

Description

It is a climbing shrub or woody vine with tendrils and elliptical, broadly oval leaves which have toothed margins. The leaves are covered on both sides with moderate to dense soft hairs. When in bloom, it has small white flowers.[3]

Distribution and habitat

Gouania vitifolia inhabits dry, coastal mesic, and mixed mesic forests on Oʻahu (Waiʻanae Mountains), the Island of Hawaiʻi (Kaʻū district), and west Maui. However, the only currently known populations are on O'ahu and Hawai'i, with no reported occurrences in Maui since the 1800s.[3] It was thought to be extinct before its rediscovery in 1991.[3]

Conservation

In 2007 there were no more than 64 plants left on Oahu and two populations with a total "numbering in the tens" on Hawaii.[4] A wildfire in 2018 is believed to have extinguished many of the remaining plants.[2] Other threats include feral pigs and invasive plants.[3]

References
  1. "Gouania vitifolia A. Gray". Flora of the Hawaiian Islands. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  2. Kubota, Lisa. "Recent wildfires burn through state's fire response budget". hawaiinewsnow.com. Retrieved 2019-03-07.
  3. "Comprehensive Report Species - Gouania vitifolia". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 2019-03-07.
  4. USFWS. Gouania vitifolia Five-year Review. August 2007.


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