Lysimachia daphnoides
A Kauaʻi-endemic Hawaiian shrub in the Primulaceae, extremely rare and endangered with about 200–300 individuals in three populations, bearing dark red to purple flowers in the leaf axils and growing in wet high-mountain bogs.
Common Names
Lehua Makanoe, Kolokolo Kuahiwi, Kolokolo Lehua, Pacific Loosestrife, Kolekole Lehua
Summary
Endemic to Kaua‘i, Hawaii, this small shrub grows to about 0.5 m tall with upright stems and dense, leathery, crowded leaves. Flowers appear singly in leaf axils and have a campanulate corolla in dark purple to burgundy. It inhabits wet boggy montane ecosystems in the Alaka‘i region, including Alaka‘i Swamp and Wahiawa Bog, at elevations around 2,000–5,100 ft.
Conservation and cultivation: three known populations on Kaua‘i total about 200–300 plants, and the species is federally endangered. Reproduction is by seeds released from a roundish capsule; germination data from a closely related species show about 86% germination for fresh seed sown on the surface of potting medium. Propagation by cuttings has very limited rooting (one rooted out of five) and is generally unlikely, with no information available for division, air layers, grafting, or tissue culture. Flowers are used in leis.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
8-20 inches
Soil Type
Boggy, wet soil, acidic peat
Soil Drainage
Well-drained, moist soil.
Bloom Color
Dark red or purple
Bloom Time
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
Seasons of Interest
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Hillebr.
- Publication
- Fl. Hawaiian Isl. : 285 (1888)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Ericales
- Family
- Primulaceae
- Genus
- Lysimachia
Synonyms
Lysimachia longa Lysimachia kahiliensis Lysimachia hillebrandii var. daphnoides Lysimachiopsis daphnoides