Bonamia menziesii
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{speciesbox
|name = Hawai{{okina}}i lady's nightcap
|image =Starr 061105-1347 Bonamia menziesii.jpg
|status = CR
|status_system = IUCN3.1
|genus = Bonamia
|species = menziesii
|authority = A.Gray
}}
Bonamia menziesii, commonly known as Hawai{{okina}}i lady's nightcap, is a species of flowering plant in the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It is a vine or twisting liana with branches that inhabits steep slopes and level ground in Hawai{{okina}}i.
Description
File:Bonamia menziesii (5341878422).jpg
File:Bonamia menziesii (5341271381).jpg
Bonamia menziesii is a woody vine that can grow up to {{cvt|10|m}} in length. The plant produces twining stems that climb over trees or sprawl across the ground. Its leaves are simple, alternate, and elliptic to oblong, with a leathery texture and fine hairs on the underside.{{Cite web |title=CPC Plant Profile: Hawai'i Lady's-nightcap |url=https://saveplants.org/plant-profile/?CPCNum=606 |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=saveplants.org |language=en-US}} They range from {{cvt|3–9|cm}} in length and {{cvt|1–4|cm}} in width. The flowers are small, funnel-shaped, and light to dark blue, with five united petals forming a tubular corolla, typical of the Convolvulaceae family. The fruit is a capsule containing a few seeds dispersed by wind and water. Its leaves are simple, alternating, elliptic to oblong in form, with a leathery texture and a thin covering of hairs on the underside.{{cn|date=May 2025}}
Distribution and habitat
Bonamia menziesii is endemic to six of the main Hawaiian Islands: Oʻahu, Maui, Hawaiʻi, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and Kauaʻi. It thrives in dry to mesic forests at elevations between {{cvt|150 and 625|m}}. The plant typically grows on steep slopes, cliff edges, and occasionally on well-drained flat ground.{{Cite web |title=USDA Plants Database |url=https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/plant-profile/BOME2 |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=plants.sc.egov.usda.gov}}
Conservation issues
Habitat loss from urbanization, agricultural development, and invasive plant species, such as fountain grass (Cenchrus setaceus) and Christmas berry (Schinus terebinthifolia), has greatly reduced the species' range. Non-native animals like goats and pigs further damage habitats by trampling vegetation and eating young plants.{{Cite web |date=2010-10-28 |title=National Collection of Imperiled Plants |url=http://centerforplantconservation.org/Collection/CPC_ViewProfile.asp?CPCNum=606 |access-date=2025-05-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028114543/http://centerforplantconservation.org/Collection/CPC_ViewProfile.asp?CPCNum=606 |archive-date=28 October 2010 }}
Conservation strategies include fencing off critical habitat to prevent animal damage, cultivating seedlings in botanical gardens, and reintroducing them into protected areas. While these efforts have shown some promise, habitat degradation continues to pose a major challenge.
Low seed viability in the wild contributes to the species' decline.
Human use
Although there is limited documentation of traditional Hawaiian uses for Bonamia menziesii, its presence in native forests suggests it was part of an ecosystem that supported cultural practices such as the collection of medicinal plants, canoe-building materials, and fibers.{{Cite web |title=NatureServe Explorer 2.0 |url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.145685/Bonamia_menziesii |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=explorer.natureserve.org}}
References
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Category:Endemic flora of Hawaii
Category:Critically endangered plants