Endangered Species Coalition 2015 Top 10 Report Nominating Form
General Information
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Nominating Organizations: Please use this Column to Provide the Requested Information
Center for Plant Conservation - www.centerforplantconservation.org
Nellie Sugii
Lyon Arboretum
sugii@hawaii.edu (808) 988-0470
Travis Mowers
travis.mowers@mobot.org (314) 577-9541
Organization & Web address
Contact name for species info
Address
Email & phone
Communications staff contact name
Email & phone
General Species Information
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Common name, genus, and species
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Geographic range
Conservation status
Remaining population size
Nanu (Gardenia brighamii)
Hawaii, Lanai, Oahu, Molokai
Global Rank: G1 Federal Status: LE
Six populations with 15 or fewer individuals.
Report Questions
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Do you have high-resolution photos that can be
used in the report?
Will you want printed reports? If so, how many?
If your species is selected, will you use the report
as a tool to organize around the species and/or
publicize its plight?
Yes
Will need to discuss with executive director, but will likely want a few copies.
Yes, we feature a link to the ESC's Top 10 report on the home page of our website. To help the
conservation effort for this species: we will encourage the participating institution to highlight
the ESC coverage and use it as a springboard to tell more about their own work with the
species and their needs to get more done. In addition, we can use the coverage as a
springboard to tell people how important this wild species is to horticulture for the beloved
gardenia species in horticulture, and its potential usefulness in the future. We and others can
also use the publication to reach out to potential funders for regional work in preserving and
restoring habitat for the species, For general outreach: we include a link to the publication in
our internal newsletter. We distribute the link to our conservation directory contacts. We
circulate to trustees and partners and work to highlight the named institutions. The report can
also be used to appeal to funders and it is possible that we would discuss the publication in
future newsletters.
Please cite any substantiating scientific studies
Public Engagement Questions (Please explain why the species is interesting, why it matters, why decision-makers + the public should care.)0
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Interesting facts about the species
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Additional background information to complete
the species profile in the report
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What are the most important messages that
should be communicated about this species'
decline? Please be sure to indicate your
organization’s lead message that you would like
to be included in the report.
Gardenia brighamii is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and at one time thought to have
occurred on all of the main islands. It is a member of a beloved genus famed for its beauty
and fragrance. Hawaiians cultural uses include making kua kuku (kapa anvils)and pou (house
posts) from the wood, and the fruit yielded a yellow kapa dye. The white, fragrant flowers
were used in lei. Judging from its use by the Hawaiians as a cloth dye, its habitat, associated
species, and distribution in the early 1900s, it was probably a relatively common member of
the lowland dry forest. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was considered common on
west Molokai and Maui, but already either extirpated or very rare on the other islands. Today,
the total known wild individuals of Gardenia brighamii numbers less than 20 and are
distributed among 6 populations on Oahu, Lanai and Molokai.
Gardenia brighamii, the Hawaiian gardenia, is a close relative of the commonly cultivated
Tahitian gardenia (Gardenia taitensis), beloved in the horticultural and floral trades, and this
species is also in the horticultural trade in Hawaii. Gardenia brighamii is a small tree, which
may grow up to 20 feet in height. The leaves are oval-shaped, shiny and dark green. The
solitary flowers are white and very fragrant. In the 1990s there were three populations on
Oahu. One was consumed by fire, one was choked out by weeds, insects and drought, and
one remains. The last Molokai tree was affected by all of these threats, but conservationists
were able to save cuttings of that tree and from Oahu populations. There are still 12 plants on
Lanai that are imperiled by all of the threats.
http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/collection/CPC_ViewProfile.asp?CPCNum=1994
http://nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/gardenia_brighamii
http://www.fws.gov/pacificislands/flora/higardenia.html
https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=GABR#
http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/federal_register/fr1002.pdf
http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=Q1WJ
Gardenia brighamii is affected by human land use practices. Losing this species will be a
emblematic of the loss of the lowland dry forest habitat. (Hawaii has experienced extreme
loss of lowland dry forest habitat due to fire, human agricultural and urban encroachment,
rats and other threats compound its problems). It would also mean a loss of one our most
beautiful and potentially useful species. Gardenia, including this species, have great
usefulness in the horticultural trade, perfumes and other potentially useful compounds.
Many species in the genus have been believed to have curative properties and have been
used in Chinese medicine, and recent research is showing bioactive compounds in several
Please cite any substantiating scientific studies
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Is your NGO working to save the species? If yes,
how? (Optional)
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How can individuals help? Please be as specific
as possible.
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Is there anything else that governments or
others could/should/are doing to save the
species?
species. It's also affected by climate change and can be a good case study for expected
future effects (drought may spur the need for future relocation to higher elevations).
Populations are so small and vulnerable, they need to be actively managed (breeding
programs to increase diversity may be needed). This species can survive if people act to
protect it; this includes supporting the research and restoration efforts necessary to bolster
the numbers of this plant and taking any measures possible to reduce the number of threats.
Waimea Valley (www.waimeavalley.net) is a Participating Institution of the Center for Plant
Conservation (www.centerforplantconservation.org) and is the primary custodian for this
plant in the CPC National Collection. Waimea Valley receives annual sponsorship money from
CPC to help with the care and research needs of this plant. Some of Waimea Valley's efforts to
protect this plant include insect predation control; spraying the plant for twig borer control;
erecting fencing; and alien tree removal, reintroduction, and pollination to get fruit. Another
CPC institution, Lyon Arboretum (www.hawaii.edu/lyonarboretum/), works to maintain this
species too. Lyon Arboretum functions as a propagation facility and provides material for field
botanist and land managers. Lyon also has at least 50 plants in tissue culture and hundreds of
seed in storage. There is a recovery plan in place for this species, as several botanical
gardens and rare plant organizations collect and propagate seed of this species. Starting in the
1970s, several volunteers and organizers from many partnerships erected and maintained
protective fences around the plants.
In general, people can help by supporting laws that protect imperiled plants, and by
supporting recovery funding for the ESA and budgets for federal and state agencies. Research
and restoration efforts for this plant need sustained support. Specifically support is needed
to protect dry forest habitat and supporting forest fire prevention. An appeal to preserving
cultural traditions such as dye making and making of Kapa cloth beaters from the wood of this
tree might spark interest in preserving this species. People in Hawaii can also help by
supporting insect predation controls, reducing or mitigating urban expansion, controlling feral
and wild pigs and goats, preventing soil erosion, controlling rats and invasive plants, and by
not collecting this plant from the wild. There are also local opportunities including
volunteering or donating to organizations working with the species including, Waimea Valley,
or Lyon Arboretum. In general, people can help by supporting laws that protect imperiled
plants.
State and federal entities can provide support for invasive species controls and pest
management, reducing fire threats, controlling grazing of pigs and goats in the habitat area of
this plant, provide fencing and increase support for collecting, seed banking, research, and
Please cite any substantiating scientific studies
propagation of this species. An overall increase in funding for endangered plant species would
help. Governments can be involved in securing habitat of current populations and for
potential future populations, conducting research, monitoring, reestablishing in former range
Criteria-specific Questions – Please feel free to answer N/A or “see above/below” as appropriate. Please cite any substantiating scientific studies.
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Describe the specific threat(s) to the species.
There is evidence that this species may have once been common on all of the main Hawaiian
Islands, due to its various uses by Hawaiians in earlier times. The species is now rare and
vulnerable in the wild due to agriculture and urban expansion, feral and wild ungulatesgrazing and trampling. Fires in the dry lowland habitats can be catastrophic. Soil erosion
occurs. Invertebrates and diseases attack plants. Alien invasive plants degrade the remaining
habitat. In addition some plants are lost from overcollection by enthusiasts and damage by
introduced rats. In the 1990s there were three populations on Oahu. One was consumed by
fire, one was choked out by weeds, insects and drought, and one remains. The last Molokai
tree was affected by all of these threats, but conservationists were able to save cuttings of
that tree and from Oahu populations. There are still 12 plants on Lanai that are imperiled by
all of the threats.----------------------http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/930930b.pdf
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Why is it in need of greater connectivity?
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Is its geographic range shifting?
Is there concern around the cyclical/seasonal life
of the species and its interactions within
ecosystems?
Does it have isolated populations?
At the beginning of the 20th century, it was considered common on west Moloka`i and
Maui, but already either extirpated or very rare on the other islands. Today, the total
known wild individuals of Gardenia brighamii numbers less than 20 and are distributed
among 6 populations on Oah`u, Lana`i and Moloka`i.
See No. 21
Reproductive cycles, longevity, specific environmental requirements, and limiting factors
are unknown (USFWS 1993).
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Lana`i
• Kanepuu area, 1 population, 7-8 individuals.
• Wahane Gulch, 1 population, 2-3 individuals.
• Puhielelu Ridge, 1 population, 4 individuals.
O`ahu
• Puu Kuua, 1 population, 1 individual.
• Nanakuli, 1 population, 2 individuals.
Moloka`i
• Mahana, 1 population, 1 individual.
(USFWS 2001) and (USFWS 1993).
Please cite any substantiating scientific studies
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Is it at risk of low genetic diversity?
How urgent is the need for greater connectivity
in order to conserve this species? Does it face a
current, imminent, or future threat?
Yes, very much so.
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Indicate if there is an associated political threat.
For instance, is this species being actively
attacked by an industry group or member of
Congress?
None known.
Judge’s Score for Severity and Extent of Threat:
Some threats are widespread, such as fire, invasive plants and rats, while other threats affect
individual populations (see discussion of individual islands in specific threats section above).
Remaining populations are within fenced enclosures, but the sites are still grazed and the
enclosures not large enough to support viable populations. On Oahu, the areas where this
species was know to occur has been heavily disturbed by cattle, goats and pigs. The single
remaining tree on this island was heavily damaged by back twig borers until the State Division
of Forestry and Wildlife controlled the twig borers and saved the tree. On Lanai, populations
of Axis deer and Mouflon sheep are threats, while goats, pigs and cattle have been controlled
by the landowner for half a century. Nanu trees on Lanai have been affected by a fungal
infection or rust, but the effect on survival is not known. Erosion is a problem at the Molokai
site, where several plants were lost due to erosion of gully walls.
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Detail information on any social or economic
benefits the species provides—e.g., its value for
recreation or as a subject of scientific research.
(Optional)
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Detail the ecological importance of the species
(e.g., is it a keystone species?).
This species is known to be used in Hawaiian culture for creating a yellow dye for Kapa bark
cloth and making wooden Kapa bark cloth beaters, as well as for making kua kuku (kapa
anvils)and pou (house posts) from the wood. The white, fragrant flowers were used in lei. It is
spoken in ancient chants. It is also an important landscape plant in Hawaii. Wild species are
very important in the horticulture industry because traits that these wild plants have can be
studied and possibly bred into plants that are in the horticulture trade. Wild species may have
insect tolerance or drought tolerance that can be useful in breeding programs to solve
problems in horticultural and floral use. As noted above in potential messages, many species of
the genus Gardenia, including this species, have great usefulness in the horticultural trade, and
potential uses in perfumes and other potentially useful compounds. Many species in the
genus have been believed to have curative properties and have been used in Chinese
medicine, and recent research is showing bioactive compounds in several species.
This is a large tree in the dry forest landscape. It is rare enough that we do not understand the
role it plays in dry forest ecology, but in the past it surely played a significant role, given its size
and presumed requirements for cross pollination with other individuals. Most plants are not
able to be self pollinated and need to be crossed with another individual. This species is a dry-
Please cite any substantiating scientific studies
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Describe how the species could be considered an
"ambassador" or “flagship” species to enlist
public support for conservation.
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loving plant and occurs on the leeward side of islands. David Orr, botanical collection specialist
of Waimea Valley, noted that the population of this species on Lanai is very small and
therefore particularly likely to be affected by climate change.
The imperilment of this species highlights the severity of habitat loss and fragmentation and
represents all Hawaiian dry forest species that are being lost. Lowland forests have been
extensively cleared for agricultural and urban uses, subjected to intentional and unintentional
fires, heavily grazed by cattle, goats, pigs, axis deer and Mouflon sheep, and infested with
alien weeds, pathogens and insects. These forests will also suffer as a result of climate
change. These impacts have reduced the dry leeward (southwest) forests to a scattering of
individual native plants surrounded by a sea of alien weeds or, at best, small fragmented
pockets of remnant vegetation.
Judge’s Score for Importance of Species
Judge’s Final Score
Please submit to top10@endangered.org, and thank you for participating in the 2015 Top 10 Report.
Please cite any substantiating scientific studies