Kanaloa Lorence & K.R. Wood, Novon 4(2): 137. 1994.
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publication ID |
https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.240.101716 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/9D8DB7A7-279A-2B18-3DA5-0506AA5CA8D2 |
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treatment provided by |
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scientific name |
Kanaloa Lorence & K.R. Wood, Novon 4(2): 137. 1994. |
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Kanaloa Lorence & K.R. Wood, Novon 4(2): 137. 1994. View in CoL
Figs 144 View Figure 144 , 145 View Figure 145 , 146 View Figure 146 , 152 View Figure 152
Type.
Kanaloa kahoolawensis Lorence & K.R. Wood
Description.
Unarmed shrub, 0.75-1 m, branches dense, decumbent (Fig. 144E View Figure 144 ), 0.75-1.5 m long, new growth densely brown hirtellous-villosulous; brachyblasts absent. Stipules free, ovate, villosulous. Leaves bipinnate, a sessile elliptical gland at point of insertion of pinnae (Fig. 145D View Figure 145 ), pinnae one pair per leaf, leaflets 3 per pinna, a terminal pair and a single proximal leaflet on the abaxial side, leaflets nearly sessile, ovate to elliptic, asymmetrical, venation reticulate, margin entire. Inflorescence a globose capitulum (Fig. 145D View Figure 145 ), 7.0-8.5 mm in diameter, lacking an involucel of united bracts on peduncle, composed of variable numbers of functionally staminate and hermaphrodite flowers, some inflorescences mostly unisexual; sterile flowers bearing showy staminodia absent; bracteoles subtending each flower persistent, deltate or peltate. Flowers 20-54 per inflorescence; sepals valvate in bud, connate, the calyx obconic, 5-lobed, pale green, pubescent; petals valvate in bud, 5, free, oblanceolate, inflexed, extremely hirtellous apically, pale green; stamens 10, filaments white, free, anthers dorsifixed, glabrous and eglandular; pollen in spheroidal tricolporate monads, exine rugulate; ovary short, squat, flask-shaped, the stigma in hermaphrodite flowers wide funnelform, anvil-shaped, flanged, peltate. Fruits stipitate, up to 4 per inflorescence, monospermous, inertly dehiscent along both margins, obovate or subcircular, plano-compressed, valves coriaceous, 2.4-3.2 × 2-2.3 cm (Fig. 146H, I View Figure 146 ). Seed cordiform (Fig. 146I View Figure 146 ), pleurogram present.
Chromosome number.
2 n = 28 ( Lorence and Wood 1994).
Included species and geographic distribution.
Monospecific ( K. kahoolawensis ), narrowly restricted to the island of Kaho’olawe, Hawaii (Fig. 152 View Figure 152 ). When discovered, known from just two plants on a sea stack, now thought to be extinct in the wild and the focus of ex-situ conservation efforts. It is possible that the range previously included other Hawaiian islands in that fossilised pollen from plants likely to be of Kanaloa has been found in core samples taken from sinkholes in O‘ahu’s 'Ewa Plain, Maui, and Kaua‘i’s Makauwahi Cave.
Ecology.
Steep rocky cliffs and screes derived from basaltic lava flows. Seed dispersal passive.
Etymology.
Kanaloa is the name of a Hawaiian deity who according to legend used the island of Kaho’olawe to rest and recoup his energies. According to Lorence and Wood (1994), Kanaloa means, "secure, firm, immovable, established, unconquerable..... attributes [which] are certainly essential for this plant to have survived in spite of the severe degradation of the island", and which will be required more than ever now, given that the genus is likely extinct in the wild and the focus of ex-situ conservation.
Human uses.
Unknown.
Notes.
The affinities of Kanaloa have been in doubt due to lack of definitive support in previous phylogenetic analyses ( Hughes et al. 2003; Luckow et al. 2003, 2005), but recent phylogenomic work ( Ringelberg et al. 2022) has demonstrated that Kanaloa is robustly supported as sister to the re-circumscribed Desmanthus ( Hughes et al. 2022c). The tergeminate leaves and one-seeded fruits easily distinguish it from its nearest relatives, as does the large peltate stigma, which is reminiscent of the stigma of Mimozyganthus .
Taxonomic references.
Lorence and Wood (1994), including illustration.
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