General Information

Habitat Requirements

Phyllostegia pilosa was documented from Kamoku Flats (montane wet) and the Mooloa (lowland mesic) areas on Molokai. It occurred on east Maui in the montane wet ecosystem. Dominant native plants in these ecosystems include Metrosideros polymorpha (ohia)-Acacia koa (koa)-Cheirodendron trigynum (olapa) with the associated native plant species Alyxia stellata (maile), Athyrium microphyllum (akolea), Carex alligata, Clermontia arborescens (oha wai nui), Coprosma spp. (pilo), Diplazium sandwichianum (hoio), Dryopteris glabra (kilau), D. wallichiana (io nui), Hydrangea arguta (kanawao), Leptecophylla tameiameiae (pukiawe), Peperomia cookiana (alaala wai nui), Rubus hawaiensis (akala), and Sticherus owhyhensis (uluhe).

Movement / Home Range

Phyllostegia pilosa is known from small areas on east Maui and central Molokai. However, it has not been observed on Molokai since the early 1900s and is considered extirpated from that island. Currently, there are no known wild plants on Maui.

Reproductive Strategy

The fragrant flowers of Hawaiian Phyllostegia have prominent lower-lipped, mostly white pink-colored corollas, associated with insect pollination. Phyllostegia pilosa has been observed flowering in February and April and fruiting between April and June. Members of the taxon in Hawaii have well-developed fleshy fruits, a feature commonly found in plants requiring birds for dispersal.

Other

Phyllostegia pilosa was first described by St. John (1987) from a collection by Rock on Maui in 1912. Phyllostegia pilosa was included within P. mollis by Wagner et al. (1990). Wagner later examined an isotype of P. haliakalae (also split from P. mollis) and found it actually represented the species P. imminuta. Thus, Wagner (1999) selected P. pilosa for this representative, as it differs from P. mollis in many characteristics: by the greater number of flowers per pair of inflorescences and closer spacing of such, shorter flower stalks, smaller flowers and leaves, and shorter leaf stalks.