The Long Lost Candelaria

I got interested in a genus of Sterculiaceae with very disjunct populations back in the mid-2000s, and when I lived in South Florida I acquired seeds and grew several of them. Hildegardia is closely aligned with Firmiana (of the notoriously invasive Firmiana simplex), but with indehiscent fruit. The species F. populifolia, which was what got me interested, is native to the Eastern Ghats in India. Originally it was believed that the population had dwindled to around 20 individuals, now it is believed that there may be around 2,000. There are no other Hildegardia in India. There is one species in a very small region in Holguin, Cuba, Hildegardia cubensis, growing on limestone. It is critically endangered as well. Hildegardia bark peels off in perfect strips, and is/was used for making hats in both India and Cuba. It's the only Hildegardia in the New World. In Australia, one spp. is in Arnhemland, Hildegardia australiensis, growing on limerock outcrops. The flower is very similar to H. populifolia. It is unknown how many there are, as it is tribal land, and very remote. In Africa there are a few species, Hildegardia barteri, which is used for karaya, and also H. gillettii from S. Somalia, which had one known extant individual (there's a scholarly article about it) but I also have a photo of a couple of individuals in N. Kenya. It's believe d to be more closely related to barteri. There's also H. migeodii, which is a coastal plant, of unknown conservation status. There are four Malagasy, of course, because Madagascar: H. ankaranensis, H. erythrosiphon, , H. perrieri and H. dauphinensis. There are also S. Asian spp. but there is very little information on them. I gave my trees to an arborist with land when I moved, but H. populifolia, H. migeodii, and H. australiensis have all flowered either when I was there or after I moved. H. cubensis, I had one individual in a pot, perished after I left. P.S. Now I live in Oakland near Lake Merritt.

Runner roots gonna run. It'll be worth a visit after the panels are situated, 1) to replant candelaria in the shaded but sky-lit patches around the panels, 2) check out what is coming back from bulldozer-redistributed Euphorbia a. roots.

How wonderful to learn about a disjunct population of a very interesting species. We first saw this in Presidio County and were fascinated to learn about this strange specie that was terribly overharvested during the Trans-Pecos period. I brought back a small piece home to New Mexico but it did not survive. Kudo for the rescue effort!

The idea that solar and wind power is environmentally benign is sadly mistaken.

Les