For The Maui News
An adult iiwi feeds on a Lobelia grayana in Waikamoi Preserve. These native plants and birds evolved together, increasing the survival success of both species – the tubular shape of the plant’s flowers perfectly matches the curvature of the bird’s bill, providing food for the iiwi and pollination for the lobelia. FOREST AND KIM STARR photo
Hawaii is the most isolated landmass on the planet. Because of this, plants and animals that arrived here millions of years ago have made extraordinary evolutionary adaptations, resulting in unique native species found nowhere else in the world. One example is the relationship between Hawaiian lobelia plant species with native forest birds like the iiwi. The plant and bird evolved together – the tubular shape of the plant’s flowers perfectly matches the curvature of the bird’s bill, providing food for the iiwi and pollination for the lobelia. There are many examples of these specific connections in a native fores