Bidens menziesii subsp. filiformis

Description:

Kookoolau or Mauna Loa beggarticksAsteraceaeEndemic to the Hawaiian IslandsOahu (Cultivated)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")NPH00006nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Bidens_menziesii_filif...