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Schiedea lydgatei, a member of the pink family (Caryophyllaceae), is a low, hairless short-lived perennial with branched stems 10 to 40 cm (4 to 16 in) long that are woody at the base. The opposite, three-veined leaves are elliptic, 2 to 4.5 cm (0.8 to 1.8 in) long, and 0.6 to 1.5 cm (0.2 to 0.6 in) wide. Bisexual flowers are arranged in loosely spreading clusters 410 to 17 cm (to 6.6 in) long. The flowers comprise usually 5 distinct but overlapping, narrowly oval, green sepals, 3 to 4.5 mm (0.1 to 0.2 in) long; 5 nectaries about 2.5 to 3 mm (0.1) long; 10 stamens; and usually 3 styles. Petals are lacking. The capsules are about 4 to 5.5 mm (0.2in) long and open when mature to reveal dark reddish-brown seeds about 0.8 mm (0.03 in) long. The opposite, thin, three-veined leaves with petioles and the smooth, open flower clusters with relatively larger, green sepals separate this species from other members of the genus.

The species historical range included Hawaii. See below for information about where the species is known or believed to occur.

Habitat Requirements

This species is found along ridges in dry to mesic grassland, shrubland, and forest with scattered native trees. It ranges in elevation between 458 and 1,047 m (1,502 and 3,434 ft). Associated native plant species include Alyxia stellata (maile), Bidens menziesii (kookoolau), Diospyros sandwicensis (lama), Dubautia linearis (naenae), Kadua affinis (manono), Lipochaeta rockii (nehe), Lysimachia remyi (no common name [NCN]), Melicope hawaiiensis (mokihana kukae moa), Metrosideros polymorpha (ohia), Myrsine lanaiense (kolea), Neraudia sericea (NCN), Osteomeles anthyllidifolia (ulei), Pittosporum argentifolium (hoawa), Pleomele auwahiensis (hala pepe), Sicyos sp. (anunu), Sida fallax (ilima), Silene lanceolata (NCN), Sophora chrysophylla (mamane), Streblus pendulinus (aiai), and Wikstroemia sp. (akia).

Food Habits

Movement / Home Range

Historically, Schiedea lydgatei occurred at Kalae, Poholua, Makolelau, and Ohia Gulch on East Molokai. It currently occurs at Kawela and Kupaia on Molokai.

Reproductive Strategy

This species has been observed with flowers and fruit in June. Schiedea lydgatei has a hermaphroditic breeding system, which is rare among dry habitat adapted Schiedea species (Weller and Sakai 2010). A study of outcrossing and pollination biology on the maintenance of hermaphroditism in S. lydgatei found that both wind and native moths in the family Pyralidae are responsible for its pollination. Outcrossing rates were generally high, especially in years when many plants flowered during the same time period. High outcrossing rates and substantial inbreeding depression indicated that at present females would not be favored in the population. Pollination by both wind and insects is consistent with the hypothesis that hermaphroditism is the result of a relatively recent reversal, as the ancestor of S. lydgatei was probably wind pollinated and gynodioecious, with few females. A shift from wind to predominately insect pollination on Molokai may have resulted in increased outcrossing rates and prevented the expression of high inbreeding depression among progeny of hermaphrodites, a condition that would select against females and favor a reversal to hermaphroditism. Because few females were likely to have been present in ancestral populations that colonized Molokai, the founder effect is another potential explanation for loss of females. In either case, current high levels of outcrossing prevent re-establishment of females in populations of S. lydgatei (Norman et al. 1997).

Other

Hillebrand (1888) described Schiedea lydgatei, naming it in honor of the Reverend John M. Lydgate, who, as a student, accompanied Hillebrand on collecting trips. Later, Otto Degener and Sherff (Sherff 1944) described a new variety of the taxon, naming it variety attenuata. No infraspecific taxa are recognized in the most recent treatment of the species (Wagner et al. 1990).