Cyanea glabra is a rare species of flowering plant in the bellflower family

Campanulaceae

The family Campanulaceae , of the order Asterales, contains about 2000 species in 70 genera of herbaceous plants, shrubs, and rarely small trees, often with milky non-toxic sap...

 known by the common name smooth cyanea. It is endemic to Maui

Maui

The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...

, where there are twelve plants remaining in the wild. It was federally listed as an endangered species

Endangered species

An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...

 of the United States with nine other Maui Nui

Maui Nui

Maui Nui or Greater Maui, is a modern geologists' name given to a prehistoric Hawaiian Island built from seven shield volcanoes. Nui means "great/large" in the Hawaiian language....

 endemics in 1999. Like other Cyanea

Cyanea (plant)

Cyanea is a genus of lobelioid plants endemic to Hawaii. It contains more than 50 species, ranging in size from shrubs like C. eleeleensis to tall palm-like trees over 10 meters tall such as C. leptostegia...

it is known as haha in Hawaiian

Hawaiian language

The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...

.

This Hawaiian lobelioid

Hawaiian lobelioids

The Hawaiian lobelioids are a group of flowering plants in the bellflower family, Campanulaceae, all of which are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. This is the largest plant radiation in the Hawaiian Islands, and indeed the largest on any island archipelago, with over 125 species...

 is a branching shrub

Shrub

A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...

 that reaches an uncertain height. It grows in wet forests dominated by Acacia koa and/or Metrosideros polymorpha

Metrosideros polymorpha

The ōhia lehua is a species of flowering evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that is endemic to the six largest islands of Hawaii. It is a highly variable tree, being tall in favorable situations, and much smaller when growing in boggy soils or on basalt...

at 975 to 1340 m (3,198.8 to 4,396.3 ft). Associated plants include Cheirodendron trigynum

Cheirodendron trigynum

Cheirodendron trigynum, also known as Ōlapa or Common Cheirodendron, is a species of flowering plant in the ginseng family, Araliaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It is a medium-sized tree, reaching a height of and a trunk diameter of...

, Tetraplasandra hawaiensis, Xylosma hawaiiense

Xylosma hawaiiense

Xylosma hawaiiense is a species of flowering plant in the willow family, Salicaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. Common names include Hawaiian Brushholly, Maua, and Ae .-Description:...

, Pipturus albidus

Pipturus albidus

Pipturus albidus, known as Māmaki in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering plant in the nettle family, Urticaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It inhabits coastal mesic, mixed mesic, and wet forests at elevations of...

, Coprosma

Coprosma

Coprosma is a genus of 108 species that are found in New Zealand , Hawaii , Borneo, Java, New Guinea, islands of the Pacific Ocean to Australia and the Juan Fernández Is. Many species are small shrubs with tiny evergreen leaves, but a few are small trees and have much larger leaves...

spp., Wikstroemia oahuensis

Wikstroemia oahuensis

Ākia or Oahu False Ohelo is a species of flowering shrub in the mezereon family, Thymelaeaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii.-Description:...

, Clermontia kakeana, Psychotria

Psychotria

Psychotria is a plant genus of 1900 species in the family Rubiaceae. Members of the genus are low trees in tropical forests. The distinction between Psychotria and the genus Cephaelis are not well known and many species were formerly placed there....

spp., Sadleria

Sadleria

Sadleria is a genus of six species of ferns in the family Blechnaceae, all endemic to Hawaii.Species*Sadleria cyatheoides Kaulf. *Sadleria pallida Hook...

spp., Cyrtandra spathulata, Touchardia latifolia

Touchardia latifolia

Touchardia latifolia, commonly known as Olonā in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering shrub in the nettle family, Urticaceae. T. latifolia is endemic to Hawaii and inhabits mesic valleys and wet forests at elevations of . Typical to many Hawaiian plants, the olonā does not have any stinging needles...

, Freycinetia arborea

Freycinetia arborea

The Ieie is a densely branched, brittle, woody climber in the screwpalm family, Pandanaceae that is endemic to the Pacific Islands. Ieie is found in moist forest on the Hawaiian, Marquesas, Austral, Society, and Cook Islands. It grows into the forest canopy, attaching itself to a host tree using...

, and Cyanea elliptica. The remaining 12 plants are part of one population

Population

A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

 divided into two subpopulations. Threats to the species include exotic plants

Introduced species

An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...

, feral pigs, and landslides.