Bidens micrantha subsp. micrantha
Genus
Bidens
Species
micrantha
Subspecies
- micrantha
Hawaiian Names with Diacritics
- Kokolau
- Koʻokoʻolau
- Kōʻokoʻolau
- Koʻolau
Hawaiian Names
- Kokolau
- Kookoolau
- Koolau
Common Names
- Beggarticks
- Grassland beggarticks
Synonyms
- Bidens degeneri
- Bidens dichotoma
- Bidens perversa
- Bidens sandvicensis var. caduca
- Bidens sandvicensis var. leiocarpa
- Campylotheca dichotoma
- Campylotheca micrantha
- Campylotheca micrantha var. laciniata
- Coreopsis dichotoma
- Coreopsis micrantha
Distribution Status
Endemic
Endangered Species Status
At Risk
Plant Form / Growth Habit
- Non-Woody, Clumping
Mature Size, Height (in feet)
- Shrub, Dwarf, Less than 2
- Shrub, Small, 2 to 6
Mature Size, Width
2 foot spread. [Ethan Romanchak, Native Nursery, LLC]
Life Span
No data available.
Landscape Uses
- Ground Cover
Additional Landscape Use Information
This is a mid or low elevation, but not coastal, growing plant. [Ethan Romanchak, Native Nursery, LLC]
Source of Fragrance
- No Fragrance
Plant Produces Flowers
Yes
Flower Type
Showy
Flower Colors
- Yellow
Blooming Period
- Year Round
- Sporadic
- Summer
Additional Blooming Period and Fruiting Information
This plant flowers all summer and sporadic year round. A medium-lived perennial, that will expire after several years, but does reseed often. [Ethan Romanchak, Native Nursery, LLC]
Plant texture
- Medium
- Coarse
Additional Plant Texture Information
Leaves range between 1 to about 3 inches long.
Leaf Colors
- Medium Green
Additional Pest & Disease Information
Few pests bother this plant. [Ethan Romanchak, Native Nursery, LLC]
Fertilizer
Responds well to fertilizer for faster, greener growth. [Ethan Romanchak, Native Nursery, LLC]
Pruning Information
None necessary. [Ethan Romanchak, Native Nursery, LLC]
Water Requirements
- Moist
Additional Water Information
Medium amounts of water. [Ethan Romanchak, Native Nursery, LLC]
Soil must be well drained
Yes
Light Conditions
- Full sun
Soils
- Clay
- Sand
- Cinder
- Organic
Natural Range
- Lānaʻi
- Maui
- Hawaiʻi
Natural Zones (Elevation in feet, Rainfall in inches)
- 150 to 1000, 0 to 50 (Dry)
- 1000 to 1999, 0 to 50 (Dry)
Additional Habitat Information
This species in general is found in a variety habitats such as dry, mesic and wet forests, sub-alpine and alpine shrublands of grasses and on sheer rock walls. While the subspecies micrantha (West Maui) is apparently secure in numbers, subsp. ctenophylla (leeward Hualālai, Hawaiʻi) is vulnerable and subsp. kalealaha (Lānaʻi and West Maui) is listed as a federally endangered species.
Special Features and Information
Etymology
The 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 species and subspecies name micrantha is from the Greek meaning small-flowered.
Modern Use
All species of koʻokoʻolau 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 Hawaiʻi offer two or three slightly different flavors, each a bit more subtle than commercial black tea." [1]
Additional References
[1] "Lāʻau Hawaiʻi: Traditional Hawaiian Uses of Plants" by Isabella Aiona Abbott, page 102.
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This record is as complete as we can generate for this plant profile at this point. Please email nativeplantshawaii@gmail.com if you wish to contribute to the data. Please include sources and references for all data submitted