Sida fallax, yellow ilima, is another plant from the Hibiscus family, native to Hawaii and other par
Sida fallax, yellow ilima, is another plant from the Hibiscus family, native to Hawaii and other parts of the Pacific. Though all the same species, different color forms have different names in Hawaiian, and depending on whether it is growing in the highlands or on level ground near a beach, the growth habit will be upright or prostrate respectively. Further variation manifests in the foliage which can be as small as a half inch to a leaf being five inches long and can be hairless or quite fuzzy. Highly adaptable to varied environments, S. fallax varieties all require fairly minimal water to grow well, quite at odds with Hawaii’s reputation for being very wet. The plant has been used as food, medicine, a tool aiding in cooking, for its wood, and of course use in leis, though it was historically restricted to the royalty. The flower of Sida fallax is the official flower of Oahu.This was one of the most tricky flowers to photograph because the petals were subtly curling in even as I worked. This was just about the only image where the petal movement was mild enough to be usable. -- source link
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