ʻIlima

Sida fallax, known as yellow ilima, golden mallow, or ʻIlima 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 and as kio in Marshallese, te kaura in Kiribati, idibin ekaura in Nauruan, and akatā in Tuvalu. In Hawaiian religion, the ʻilima flowers are associated with Laka, the goddess of the hula, and the plant's prostrate form with Pele's broth…