Canavalia molokaiensis

Canavalia molokaiensis NatureServe Explorer Species Reports — NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports — Canavalia molokaiensis ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

The plant is a vine with red-purple pealike flowers. It inhabits exposed, steep cliffs in dry and mesic forests that are dominated by ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) and ʻaʻaliʻi (Dodonaea viscosa) at elevations of 850–930 m (2,790–3,050 ft). Associated plants include ʻāhinahina (Artemisia spp.), ʻakoko (Euphorbia spp.), pilo (Coprosma spp.), pūkiawe (Styphelia tameiameiae), and ʻākia (Wikstroemia spp.).

This rare plant is threatened by habitat destruction, mainly due to introduced grazing mammals.It is limited to four populations with a total of 200 to 500 individuals;this is sometimes described as one badly fragmented population.Other threats include introduced plant species. This has been a federally listed endangered species of the United States since 1992.