3rd Annual Academic Symposium - Cynthia Blankenship

Planchonella sandwicensis is an incredibly variable species endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It has been suggested that there are ecological correlations involved in the variation of the fruits and seeds of P. sandwicensis. To investigate ecological variations within the species, specimens of P. sandwicensis were sampled in the field across Hawaii, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and Kauai. Attributes of the fruits and seeds of the specimens were measured. Fruit horizontal and vertical diameter, horizontal and vertical circumference, and fruit apex angle were measured. Seeds were extracted from each seed bearing fruit and were measured for length and width. Ecological data from each collection site was obtained and correlations between specimen characteristics and ecological parameters were investigated. We showed that fruit shape is positively correlated to the amount of rainfall at each site (p value = 0.0044). Seed number was not found to be a factor in fruit size or seed size (p value = 0.1). Also, seed shape and size was not found to be significantly correlated with ecological data (p value > 0.5). In conclusion, ecological parameters may be responsible for some, but not all, of the variation in the fruits and seeds of P. sandwicensis; however, limitations such as immature fruits, small sample size, difficulty in gathering random samplings, and time of year may have influenced the outcome of these findings.