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Hippobroma longiflora

(L.) G.Don (1834)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Asterales Family: Campanulaceae Genus: Hippobroma

pua hōkū [pua hoku], star of Bethlehem, star-of-bethlehem

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Erect or decumbent annual or biennial herbs.

Stems: Stems coarse, fleshy, 15–50(–80) cm long, glabrous or pubescent.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades lanceolate to oblanceolate, 6–25 cm long, 1.5–8 cm wide. Apex obtuse to acute, mucronulate. Surfaces glabrous or pubescent on the veins. Margins coarsely dentate to pinnately lobed. Subsessile. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers solitary in the axils of cauline leaves or arranged in terminal or axillary racemes, spikes, or cymes; pedicels erect at anthesis but declined in fruit, 5–10 mm long, pubescent. Flowers bisexual (perfect); Hypanthium turbinate, with a conspicuous rim; 10–nerved, 8–11 mm long, 3–5 mm wide, sparsely pubescent. Calyx lobes linear, denticulate and ciliate, 10–22 mm long; sepals connate, tube adnate to ovary, 5-lobed. Corolla actinomorphic or, if zygomorphic, then often laterally fenestrate or dorsally cleft, connate, with 5 valvate lobes, white, salverform, the tube straight and entire, the lobes subequal and lanceolate, 7–15 cm long, pubescent externally, glabrous within. Stamens 5, alternate with corolla lobes; anthers white, dithecal, connate, with an apical tuft of hairs, forming a tube into which pollen is shed; staminal column adnate to corolla tube from the base to just below the orifice; filaments distinct or connate above, attached to the epigynous nectary disk or to base of corolla. Ovary inferior, sometimes only partly so, rarely almost superior, 2–5-carpellate, with as many cells as carpels; ovule placentation axile, or when 1-celled with 2 parietal placentas, often crowned with an annular nectary disk; stigmas wet or dry, 2–5-lobed, appressed and nonreceptive as the style grows through the anther tube, pushing out the pollen, after which the stigmas spread apart and become receptive.

Fruit: Fruit a loculicidal ellipsoid capsule; 1.8–2.5 cm long; 1–1.5 cm wide; dehiscent by 2 apical valves; pendent. Seeds numerous; pale brown; minute; 0.6–0.8 mm long; ellipsoid; minutely pitted–reticulate; with a straight; short to spatulate dicotyledonous embryo embedded in oily endosperm.

Ploidy: 2n = 28

Habitat: Naturalized in low elevation disturbed areas with moderate rainfall.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Maui Not in flora
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Notes

  • All parts of the plant contain a irritating alkaloid that can be absorbed easily into the skin and cause a rash

Bibliography

Name Published In: Gen. Hist. 3: 717 (1834)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:472 (K, O, M, H); Staples & Herbst 2005:217 (KEY), 218 (DESCR); Faccenda, Arthur, et al. 2025:166 (remove M [no evidence of nat.])

Poisonous Plants of Paradise (Scott & Thomas) p.152-153

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Hippobroma longiflora Maunapuluo, Hanakapiai, Napali Coast roadside Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 10865 Kauai BISH 1930-12-30
2 Hippobroma longiflora Honolulu, Cluett house, 1309 Queen Emma St garden bed Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 26056 Oahu BISH 1957-07-15
3 Hippobroma longiflora Hanalai Valley grassy roadside bank. Preserved_Specimen Brenan, J.P.M. 14874 Kauai BISH 1980-02-24
4 Hippobroma longiflora Honolulu, Punchbowl, Dole Park dry open place on volcanic tuff Preserved_Specimen Hosaka, E.Y. Oahu BISH 1931-05-05
5 Hippobroma longiflora 7 miles S of Olaa roadside Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 11230 Hawaii BISH 1931-12-21
6 Hippobroma longiflora Haena by road Preserved_Specimen Neal, M.C. Kauai BISH 1929-04-29
7 Hippobroma longiflora Hanalei District. Nuololo aina (alt. spell. Nualolo), Na Pali coast. Myoporum shrublands w/ secondary invasive species. Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 17946 Kauai BISH 2018-10-04
8 Hippobroma longiflora Jct. Stainback Hwy. and Hwy. 13 to Hilo; disturbed roadside Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 4851 Hawaii BISH 1983-07-26
9 Hippobroma longiflora Waimea Arboretum partial shade Preserved_Specimen Lau, J. 2719 Oahu BISH 1986-08-04
10 Hippobroma longiflora Hanalei wet pineapple fiels Preserved_Specimen Hosaka, E.Y. 482 Kauai BISH 1931-08-01
11 Hippobroma longiflora Road from Route 56 to Anini Beach roadside Preserved_Specimen Fay, J.J. 189 Kauai BISH 1974-04-05
12 Hippobroma longiflora Hanalei wet pineapple fiels Preserved_Specimen Hosaka, E.Y. 482 Kauai BISH 1931-08-01
13 Hippobroma longiflora Waiuika cliffs Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. Kauai BISH 1956-02-01
14 Hippobroma longiflora Hawaii Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 7773 Hawaii BISH 1930-04-11
15 Hippobroma longiflora Honolulu, Foster Gardens Preserved_Specimen Miyashiro, Y. Oahu BISH 1962-03-03
16 Hippobroma longiflora Napali Coast, along Kalalau trail Preserved_Specimen Stone, B.C. 820 Kauai BISH 1955-06-18
17 Hippobroma longiflora Hawaii Preserved_Specimen Herbarium Experiment Station, HSPA 357 Hawaii BISH
18 Hippobroma longiflora Hawaii Preserved_Specimen Herbarium Experiment Station, HSPA 198 Hawaii BISH
19 Hippobroma longiflora S.Kona, Honaunau Forest Reserve, Keei Preserved_Specimen Kondo, Y. 7681 Hawaii BISH 1946-07-30
20 Hippobroma longiflora Near Hilo on roadside to Volcano House Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 2088 Hawaii BISH 1926-07-23
21 Hippobroma longiflora Hilo, Catholic School Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 12853 Hawaii BISH 1912-07-01
22 Hippobroma longiflora Terminal portion of 1880 - 12 ma flow near Hilo Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 528 Hawaii BISH 1915-05-17
23 Hippobroma longiflora Hanalei Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 457 Kauai BISH 1913-09-01
24 Hippobroma longiflora 7 mi SW of State Route 11 on Mamaki Rd. to Kualani Prison, Waiakea Forest Reserve Preserved_Specimen Miller, J.S. 7946 Hawaii BISH 1992-08-06
25 Hippobroma longiflora Hilo-Kona Road Preserved_Specimen Meebold, A. Hawaii BISH 1932-05-01
26 Hippobroma longiflora Kona, Kaimalino, McCandless Ranch Preserved_Specimen Marks, Mrs.A.L. Hawaii BISH 1957-09-20
27 Hippobroma longiflora Occurs along roadside at Haena State Park Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Kauai BISH 1978-06-15
28 Hippobroma longiflora Hawaii Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. Hawaii BISH
29 Hippobroma longiflora Kauai Preserved_Specimen Mann, H. Kauai BISH 1864-01-01
30 Hippobroma longiflora Hawaii Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. Hawaii BISH
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