Lobelia gaudichaudii

• Conservation Status: Endangered
• Distribution: O’ahu (Southern Ko’olau mountains)
• Date photographed: 12/8/2012
• Ease of viewing: Difficult
• *Identification: Form– Stems woody, 3-10 dm long, dense apical rosette of leaves. Leaves– oblanceolate to oblong, 8-19 cm long, 1.3-2.8 cm wide, midrib pubescent on lower surface. Flower– calyx lobes triangular, lanceolate or ovate, 10-15 mm long, 3-5 mm wide; corolla crimson, 50-75 mm long, 8-15 mm wide.
• Phylogenetic comments: For a time, Lobelia gaudichaudii had two subspecies, subsp gaudichaudii and subsp koolauensis. Each has been raise to species level. More changes will need to be made because the genus Lobelia has be found to be paraphyletic. But that revision will be quite the undertaking.
• My notes: Lobelia gaudichaudii is another awesome lobeliad that is part of the wet summit plant community. When we went to check them out, we were socked in by the clouds and buffeted by wind and rain. I thought it would be miserable conditions to take photos. Imagine my surprise when these came out.
• Links: Smithsonian Flora of the Hawaiian Islands, UH Botany, Native Hawaiian Plants- Lobelia,
• Additional Photos:

*From Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai’i