Species Profile for Alani(Melicope balloui)

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Alani (Melicope balloui)

Taxonomy:

View taxonomy in ITIS

Listing Status: Endangered

Where Listed: WHEREVER FOUND

General Information

Melicope balloui is a small tree or shrub in the rue family (Rutaceae). New growth is covered with yellowish-brown hairs and waxy scales, the hairs and scales becoming grayish and sparser with age. The generally oval-shaped leathery leaves (5 to 10 x 3 to 7 cm [2 to 3.9 x 1.2 to 2.8 in]) occur in pairs on 10 to 26 mm (0.4 to 1.0 in) leafstalks (petioles) opposite each other on the stems. The leaves have about 9 to 14 pairs of veins branching from the main vein connected by another vein near the periphery of the leaf. The leaves are slightly hairy, the underside becoming less hairy except around the main vein. Female flowers are yellowish green, tiny (petals approximately 4 mm (0.2 in) long) and are densely covered with small hairs. Flowers occur in flat clusters of 5 to 9, each on individual 5 mm (0.2 in) stalks (pedicels), grouped on 3 to 16 mm (0.1 to 0.6 in) stalks (peduncles) from the point of leaf attachment. Male flowers are not described. Petals and some other floral parts (sepals) usually persist as the fruit matures; the fruits are about 26 mm (1 in) wide, each 12 to 13 mm (0.5 in) part containing 1 or 2 7-mm (0.3-in) seeds.

Current Listing Status Summary

Show entries

Status	Date Listed	Lead Region	Where Listed
Endangered	12-05-1994	Pacific Region (Region 1)	Wherever found

Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries

» Range Information

Current Range

Last Updated: 07-06-2021 - Wherever found

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Current range maps are only shown within the jurisdictional boundaries of the United States of America. The species may also occur outside this region.

Wherever found
Listing status: Endangered

States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: Hawaii
US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: View All

USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur:

State	County
Hawaii	Maui

» Candidate Information

No Candidate information available for this species.

No Candidate Assessments available for this species.

Candidate Notice of Review Documents

Show entries

Date	Citation Page	Title
09/30/1993	58 FR 51144 51190	ETWP; Review of Plant Taxa for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species
02/21/1990	55 FR 6184 6229	ETWP; Review of Plant Taxa for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species; Notice of Review; 55 FR 6184 6229
09/27/1985	50 FR 39526 39584	Review of Plant Taxa for Listing as End. or Thr. Species; Notice of Review; 50 FR 39526-39584
11/28/1983	48 FR 53640 53670	Supplement to Review of Plant Taxa for Listing as End. or Thr. Species; 48 FR 53640-53670
12/15/1980	45 FR 82480 82569	Review of Plant Taxa for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species
07/01/1975	40 FR 27924	Review of Status of Vascular Plants

Showing 1 to 6 of 6 entries

No Uplisting Documents currently available for this species.

» Federal Register Documents

Federal Register Documents

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Date	Citation Page	Title
06/25/2021	86 FR 33726 33728	Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews for 77 Species in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Hawaii; request for information
03/30/2016	81 FR 17789 18110	Designation and Nondesignation of Critical Habitat on Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Kahoolawe for 135 Species; Final Rule
02/12/2016	81 FR 7571	Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews of 76 Species in Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Idaho
06/11/2012	77 FR 34464 34775	Listing 38 Species on Molokai, Lanai, and Maui as Endangered and Designating Critical Habitat on Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Kahoolawe for 135 Species
03/16/2009	74 FR 11130 11133	Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of 103 Species in Hawaii
05/14/2003	68 FR 25934 26165	Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for 60 Plant Species from the Islands of Maui and Kahoolawe, HI
10/02/2002	67 FR 61845 61846	Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designating Critical Habitat for Plant Species from the Islands of Maui and Kahoolawe, Hawaii; Notice of Availability of Draft Economic Analysis
08/26/2002	67 FR 54766 54767	Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designations and Non-designations of Critical Habitat for Plant Species From the Islands of Kauai, Niihau, Maui, Kahoolawe, Molokai, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Hawaii, and Oahu, Hawaii; Alll Plants Open comment Period
08/26/2002	67 FR 54764 54765	Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designations of Critical Habitat for Plant Species From the Islands of Maui and Kahoolawe, HI.: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period, and public hearing announcement.
04/03/2002	67 FR 15856 15987	Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised Determinations of Prudency and Proposed Designations of Critical Habitat for Plant Species From the Islands of Maui and Kahoolawe

Showing 1 to 10 of 20 entries

» Species Status Assessments (SSAs)

Species Status Assessments (SSAs)

No Species Status Assessments (SSA's) are currently available for this species.

Special Rule Publications

No Special Rule Publications currently available for this species.

» Recovery

Species with Recovery Documents Data Explorer
Recovery Priority Number: 5

Current Recovery Plan(s)

Show entries

Date	Plan Stage	Recovery Plan	Implementation Status	SSAs/Biological Reports	Recovery Implementation Strategies
07/29/1997	Final	Recovery Plan for the Maui Plant Cluster	View Implementation Progress

Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries

Date	Citation Page	Title	Document Type
06/25/2021	86 FR 33726 33728	Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews for 77 Species in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Hawaii; request for information	Five Year Review Notice, Information Solicitation
02/12/2016	81 FR 7571	Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews of 76 Species in Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Idaho	Five Year Review Notice, Information Solicitation
03/16/2009	74 FR 11130 11133	Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of 103 Species in Hawaii	Five Year Review Notice, Information Solicitation

Date	Title
08/23/2023	Melicope balloui (alani) 5-Year Review 2023
10/23/2018	Alani(Melicope balloui) 5-Year Review
08/02/2011	Alani(Melicope balloui) 5-Year Review

» Critical Habitat

Critical Habitat Spatial Extents

Population(s)

Wherever found

Critical Habitat Documents

Show entries

Date	Citation Page	Title	Critical Habitat Shapefile	Document Type
03/30/2016	81 FR 17789 18110	Designation and Nondesignation of Critical Habitat on Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Kahoolawe for 135 Species; Final Rule	Download	Final

Showing 1 to 1 of 1 entries

To learn more about critical habitat please see https://ecos.fws.gov/crithab

» Conservation Plans

No Conservation Plans currently available for this species.

» Petitions

No Petitions currently available for this species.

» Biological Opinions

To see all FWS Issued Biological Opinions please visit the BO Report.

» Life History

Habitat Requirements

Melicope balloui occurs in Acacia koa (koa)Metrosideros polymorpha (ohia) dominated wet forest at 1,280 to 1,525 m (4,200 to 5,000 ft) on northwest Haleakala and at 760 m (2,500 ft) in Kipahulu Valley. Associated native species include Alyxia stellata (maile), Cheirodendron trigynum (olapa), Clermontia arborescens (oha wai nui), Cyrtandra spp. (haiwale), Dubautia plantaginea (naenae), Freycinetia arborea (ie ie), Kadua spp. (manono), Labordia spp. (kamakahala), Hydrangea arguta (kanawao), Leptecophylla tameiameiae (pukiawe), Machaerina angustifolia (uki), Melicope spp. (alani), Myrsine lessertiana (kolea lau nui), Peperomia spp. (ala ala wai nui), Perrottetia sandwicensis (olomea), Phyllostegia ambigua (no common name [NCN]), Pipturus spp. (mamake), Platydesma spathulata (pilo kea), Psychotria spp. (kopiko), Rubus hawaiiensis (akala), and Wikstroemia oahuensis, and an understory of ferns including Asplenium hobdyi (NCN), A. insiticium (analii), Cibotium glaucum (hapuu), Dicranopteris linearis (uluhe), Diplazium sandwichianum (hoio), and Dryopteris tetrapinnata (NCN).

Movement / Home Range

Melicope balloui is an east Maui endemic.

Reproductive Strategy

Melicope balloui has only been reported flowering and fruiting in May.

Other

Melicope balloui is opposite-leaved, distinguishing it from M. clusiifolia and M. haleakalae. When sterile, M. balloui is not easily distinguished from other opposite-leaved members of the genus. Juvenile plants often have very large leaves (with blades exceeding 25 cm [10 in]). Two of the main characters that separate this Melicope balloui from the more widespread, and quite variable, M. volcanica, are the more densely pubescent flowers and persistent sepals on the seed capsules. However, individual plants in Waikamoi and Palikea have seed capsules with both persistent and fallen sepals on the same tree. Genetic analysis should be done on these populations and on M. volcanica throughout its range, as M. balloui may be a variant of M. volcanica.

» Other Resources

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-- 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." +