Cyrtandra ootensis
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Cyrtandra ootensis faces severe habitat degradation from invasive plant species that alter the understory composition of its native forest environment. The species' extremely limited range on Oahu makes it particularly vulnerable to localized disturbances, including feral pig damage that destroys native vegetation and creates opportunities for invasive species establishment. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns that could affect the moist forest conditions this endemic Hawaiian plant requires.
Habitat
Cyrtandra ootensis is endemic to the Waianae Mountains of Oahu, Hawaii, where it inhabits moist to wet native forests at elevations between 600-1,200 meters. The species requires the humid understory conditions of native Hawaiian forest ecosystems, typically growing in areas with consistent moisture and filtered sunlight beneath the forest canopy.