Kauaʻi record · kba_plant_clethra_lanata
Woolly Clethra
Clethra lanata
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About Woolly Clethra
Woolly Clethra (Clethra lanata) is an introduced tree documented as naturalized on Kauaʻi by Bishop Museum’s 2025 checklist. A Mesoamerican tree occurring from southern Mexico toward Panama across cloud forest, pine, oak, pine-oak, and other humid or seasonally dry forest communities. The species is ecologically broader than a strict cloud-forest specialist. Naturalized on Kauaʻi in the Bishop Museum 2025 checklist (Status=nat; K=K); the screened Smithsonian 2026 name set did not provide an independent match; public occurrence is island-level only. This evidence does not quantify current abundance or ecological effects.
Kauaʻi evidence
Taxonomic identity, tree form, diagnostic morphology and island occurrence use the linked reviewed sources. Historical planting, cultivation, naturalization and invasive status are separate. Generated imagery is not occurrence evidence.
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Clethra lanata
- Common names
- Woolly Clethra · Nance macho
- Other names
- Clethra lanata · Woolly clethra · Nance macho · Clethra confertifolia Ernst
- Record type
- Species
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Recorded on Kauaʻi
- Origin
- Introduced
- Conservation status
- Not yet assessed
- Evidence date
- 2026-10-06
- Evidence limits
- Current island-wide abundance, occupied habitat, reproductive distribution, population trend, and ecological effects on Kauaʻi remain unassessed.
Habitat and ecology
- Habitats
- Not yet assessed
- Food and resource needs
- Not yet assessed
- Reproduction
- Fragrant bisexual flowers in long racemes develop into small dry capsules containing compressed seeds. Successful recruitment requires flowering, pollination, capsule maturation, seed release, dispersal, and establishment. Kauaʻi-specific phenology, dispersal, and recruitment are unmeasured.
- Shelter
- Not yet assessed
- Growth form
- Tree
Threats and conservation
- Monitoring
- Not yet assessed
- Data gaps
- Current population extent and trajectory · Additional species-specific ecological and conservation sources
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal timing
- Not yet assessed
- Seasonal description
- Woolly Clethra (Clethra lanata) is an introduced tree documented as naturalized on Kauaʻi by Bishop Museum’s 2025 checklist. A Mesoamerican tree occurring from southern Mexico toward Panama across cloud forest, pine, oak, pine-oak, and other humid or seasonally dry forest communities. The species is ecologically broader than a strict cloud-forest specialist. Naturalized on Kauaʻi in the Bishop Museum 2025 checklist (Status=nat; K=K); the screened Smithsonian 2026 name set did not provide an independent match; public occurrence is island-level only. This evidence does not quantify current abundance or ecological effects.
Sources and further reading
- https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:327604-1
- https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000889173
- https://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/pubs-online/pdf/op113p27-54.pdf
- https://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/publications/pdf/tr75.pdf
- https://editedimages.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Imadaetal.2025Hawaiianvascularplants.xlsx