Eleocharis obtusa (5188017050) (2)

Description:

Description: Kohekohe or Blunt spikerush Cyperaceae (Sedge family) Indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands (Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Maui, Hawaiʻi) Oʻahu (Cultivated) Kohekohe (Eleocharis obtusa) is one of the few native rushes in the Hawaiian Islands. A robust variety (E. obtusa var. gigantea) with larger floral features is rare. Closeup www.flickr.com/photos/dweickhoff/5188017186/in/photostream/ Medicinally, early Hawaiians used kohekohe (Eleocharis spp.) to treat puʻupuʻu wela (unknown?), pūhō (abscess, burst sore, ulcer), and ʻaʻai (spreading sores). The plants were processed by cooking and then used to wash affected areas. Etymology The genus name Eleocharis comes from Greek helos, "of the marsh or meadow," and charis, "grace, favor, or loveliness." The specific epithet obtusa is from the Latin obtuse or blunt in reference to the blunt seed head of this species. NPH00001 nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Eleocharis_obtusa. Date: 8 November 2008, 07:52. Source: Eleocharis obtusa. Author: David Eickhoff from Hawaiʻi, USA.