Sida fallax


Sida fallax, known as yellow 'ilima, or in Hawaiian, ilima, is a species of herbaceous flowering plant in the Hibiscus family, Malvaceae, that occurs on some Pacific Islands. Plants may be erect or prostrate and are found in drier areas in sandy soils, often near the ocean. Ilima is the symbol of Laloimehani and is the flower for the island of Oahu.
It is known as Kio in Marshallese.

Description

The flowers are small, in diameter, have five petals, and are a golden yellow in color.
Ilima grows from 6 inches to 10 ft tall in prostrate and erect forms. Lowland ilima, known as ilima papa, has silver-green foliage, mountain varieties have smooth, green foliage. Leaves can be long and narrow or rounded or heart-shaped with finely to coarsely serrated leaf margins. Flowers may be solitary or occur in small clusters.

Uses

used ilima flowers to make lei. It used to be seen as a lei for royalty, but can now be worn by anyone. The flowers are sometimes also used as a food garnish. It was also used medicinally. S. fallax is sometimes used as a groundcover in tropical areas.