Bidens cosmoides

Description:

Pool nui, Kookoolau or Cosmosflower beggarticksAsteraceaeEndemic to the Hawaiian Islands (Kauai only)IUCN: EndangeredOahu (Cultivated)Hawaiian Name:This species is so recognizably distinct and larger than other native Bidens sp., the early Hawaiians gave it the unique name pool nui, which means "grand pool," in reference to similar the leaves and habit to the unrelated pool (Claoxylon sandwicense), a member of the Euphorbia family (Euphorbaceae).Side view:www.flickr.com/photos/dweickhoff/16153288416/in/datetaken...Plant habit:www.flickr.com/photos/dweickhoff/4949297207/in/photolist-...Early Hawaiians used the leaves in hot teas and tonics. Today, all species of kookoolau can be brewed as a tonic and each are said to have distinct flavors. Regarding Bidens spp., Isabella Abbott comments that "I find that the roughly half a dozen species common in Hawaii offer two or three slightly different flavors, each a bit more subtle than commercial black tea." ("Lau Hawaii: Traditional Hawaiian Uses of Plants")EtymologyThe generic name Bidens is derived from the Latin bi, two, and dens, teeth in reference to the pappus awns or collective bristles on the achenes (fruit, seeds).The specific epithet cosmoides literally means cosmos-like or resembling cosmos, referring to its likeness to the cosmos flowers in the same family (Asteraceae).nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Bidens_cosmoides