Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas

Kauaʻi record · KCA-FUNGI-000002

Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death canker fungus

Ceratocystis huliohia

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Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death canker fungus (Ceratocystis huliohia). Atlas ecological plate.
Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death canker fungus (Ceratocystis huliohia). Atlas ecological plate. · Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas · AI-generated Atlas reconstruction · Atlas primary ecological plate v1.5.1 · Image source

About Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death canker fungus

Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death canker fungus is documented for Kauaʻi or tied to local survey work. Role: Canker pathogen of ʻōhiʻa. Associated habitat or substrate: ʻŌhiʻa sapwood and wounded tree tissue; infected forest environments.

Kauaʻi evidence

ROD sources identify C. huliohia as one of two ROD fungi and report Kauaʻi detections.

Names and classification

Scientific name
Ceratocystis huliohia
Common names
Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death canker fungus
Family
Ceratocystidaceae
Order
Microascales
Record type
species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence
Detected on Kauaʻi; active conservation-management concern
Origin
Introduced / emergent
Conservation status
High conservation concern
Evidence date
2026-09-13
Evidence limits
Occurrence strength is explicit; statewide/Hawaiian checklist evidence is not treated as a precise Kauaʻi site record.

Habitat and ecology

Habitats
ʻŌhiʻa sapwood and wounded tree tissue; infected forest environments
Ecological role
Canker pathogen of ʻōhiʻa
Food and resource needs
Canker pathogen of ʻōhiʻa
Reproduction
Spore production or clonal/mycelial growth; source-specific details vary
Shelter
Metrosideros polymorpha / ʻōhiʻa
Substrate
Metrosideros polymorpha / ʻōhiʻa

Threats and conservation

Threats
Threat to ʻōhiʻa forests, watershed function, cultural resources and native forest structure
Conservation actions
Retain observations with provenance; protect sensitive sites; support specialist review; apply disease hygiene and management protocols when relevant
Monitoring
Record substrate, host, microhabitat, date, rainfall/moisture, visible morphology, photos, specimen/voucher status, DNA status, and attendant biota
Data gaps
Kauaʻi voucher status, precise taxonomic confirmation, microhabitat, host/substrate specificity, abundance, and seasonal pattern need expansion.

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing
Often moisture- and substrate-dependent; Kauaʻi timing requires repeated observation
Seasonal description
Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death canker fungus is documented for Kauaʻi or tied to local survey work. Role: Canker pathogen of ʻōhiʻa. Associated habitat or substrate: ʻŌhiʻa sapwood and wounded tree tissue; infected forest environments.

Sources and further reading

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