Flora of the Hawaiian Islands
Monocotyledon Literature for Dianella sandwicensis
Wagner et al., 1990, 1999.
   Asphodelaceae Bibliography
      Dianella sandwicensis

Common name(s): `uki, `uki`uki
General Information
DistributionHawaiian Islands.In the Hawaiian Islands, endemic to Kaua`i, O`ahu, Moloka`i, Lana`i, Maui, Hawai`i. We continue to recognize the broad concept of D. sandwicensis. Recognition of up to five endemic species is possible pending further taxonomic resolution/replication and validly published descriptions. (Muscat 2017, 2019) .
















Click here for detailed USGS map by Jonathan Price
Habit
Coarse, glabrous perennial herbs 5-20 dm tall, rhizomes spreading close to ground level, ca. 1.5 cm in diameter, forming clumps of stems.
Leaves
Leaves rather tough and flexible, folded toward base, linear-lanceolate, 30-100 cm long, 2-3(-4) cm wide, midrib prominent and keeled, margins entire or sometimes minutely toothed.
Flowers
Panicles (10-)20-40(-60) cm long, open or relatively narrow, branches corymbiform, 5-15 cm long, cymules 4-12(-25)-flowered, flowers secund, pedicels (3-)5-10 mm long, recurved; tepals pale blue to white, oblong-ovate, reflexed, outer ones 5-6 mm long, obscurely 5-nerved, inner ones 4-5.5 mm long, obscurely 5-nerved, the outer 2 veins obscure; filament swelling orange and turgid; anthers yellow; ovary 3-grooved.
Fruit
Berries dark translucent blue to sky blue, obovoid to depressed-globose, often somewhat irregular, ca. 7-10 mm long.
Seeds
Seeds 2-3(4) per cell, black, glossy, variable in shape, ranging from hemispherical, the inner face angular and with a single crest, to irregular in outline, angular and ribbed with 1 or both ends tapered, 2-3 mm long, testa crustaceous.
Chromosomes
2n = ca. 32*, ca. 40*, ca. 70*