Sida fallax

Sida fallax
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Sida
Species:
S. fallax
Binomial name
Sida fallax

Sida fallax, known as yellow ilima[1] or golden mallow,[2] is a species of herbaceous flowering plant in the Hibiscus family, Malvaceae, indigenous to the Hawaiian Archipelago and other Pacific Islands. Plants may be erect or prostrate and are found in drier areas in sandy soils, often near the ocean. ʻIlima is the symbol of Laloimehani and is the flower for the islands of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, and Abemama, Kiribati.

It is known as ʻilima or ʻāpiki in Hawaiian[3] and as kio in Marshallese,[4] te kaura in Kiribati, idibin ekaura in Nauruan,[5] and akatā in Tuvalu.[6]

In Hawaiian religion, the ʻilima flowers are associated with Laka, the goddess of the hula, and the plant's prostrate form with Pele's brother, Kane-ʻapua, the god of taro planters.[7] Lei made from ʻilima were believed to attract mischievous spirits (thus its alternative name, ʻāpiki), although some considered them to be lucky.[8]

  1. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "​Sida fallax​". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  2. ^ Velde, Nancy Vander (August 2003). "The Vasuclar Plants of Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands" (PDF). Atoll Research Bulletin. 503. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History: 1–141. doi:10.5479/si.00775630.503.1. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  3. ^ "ʻilima". Ulukau Hawaiian Electronic Dictionary. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
  4. ^ "Native plants of the Marshalls". Republic of the Marshall Islands Biodiversity Clearing House Mechanism. RMI Office of Environmental Planning and Policy Coordination (OEPPC). April 2004. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  5. ^ Thaman, R.R. (August 1987). "Plants of Kiribati: A Listing and Analysis of Vernacular Names" (PDF). Atoll Research Bulletin. 296. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution: 1–42. doi:10.5479/si.00775630.296.1. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  6. ^ Naikatini, A. (2021). Field Guide for the Biodiversity Rapid Assessment Program (BioRAP) of Funafuti Atoll, Nukulaelae Atoll, Niutao Island and Vaitupu Island, Tuvalu – Technical Report (PDF) (Report). Vaiaku, Tuvalu: Ridge to Reef Unit, Department of Environment. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  7. ^ Thaman, R.R. (May 1992). "Batiri Kei Baravi: The Ethnobotany of Pacific Island Coastal Plants" (PDF). Atoll Research Bulletin. 361. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History: 43. doi:10.5479/si.00775630.361.1. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  8. ^ "ʻāpiki". Ulukau Hawaiian Electronic Dictionary. Retrieved 2021-08-28.