More Articles
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- June 2007
- April 2007
Mountain Ilima of Hawaii
Posted: March 1, 2008
Mountain ilima or “ilima kuahiwi” is one of the most charming native Hawaiian flowers in the wooded and mountainous areas of Hawaii. Its dainty yellow-orange flowers and lush green foliage make it an exquisite sight along the mountain trails throughout the Hawaiian Islands.
Ilima (Sida fallax) is indigenous to Hawaii and is found on all the main islands. It is also found on other island groups throughout the Pacific and on the continent of Asia. Ilima varies greatly in height, leaf size and shape, and flower color. In Hawaii, beach ilima, known as “ilima papa”, grows prostrate on the sand as ground cover 6 – 12 inches high, while mountain ilima grows as a shrub that can reach up to 10 feet high.
Ilima kuahiwi grows in a wooded area with kiawe trees in Lualualei Valley in Waianae on Oahu. In this habitat, ilima grows as a shrub 5 feet tall and competes for open sunlit areas against tall grasses.
Ilima flowers no more than an inch across bloom in great numbers after weeks of rain nourish the wooded and mountainous areas of Waianae during the rainy season in winter.
The petals of ilima are paper thin and are easily bruised. The ilima flowers in this photo are not completely open — their petals form a cup around the stamens and pistils at the center of the flower.
When ilima flowers fully open their petals extend outwards to show their attractive irregular shape. Ilima is the flower for the island of Oahu and is often fashioned into leis. Ilima was also used for medicinal purposes as a treatment for a number of conditions.
–
Sources:
Hawaiian Native Plant Propagation Database
Hawaiian Ethobotany Online Database
Nice info. Visit my PBASE, where I have lots of East Hawai’i pix – http://www.pbase.com/bkrownd