Bidens torta

Description:

Kookoolau or Corkscrew beggarticksAsteraceae (Sunflower family)Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands (Waianae Mts., northwest Koolau Mts., Oahu only)Photo: Kaala Natural Area Reserve, OahuEarly 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 torta is from the Latin tortus, winding or meandering, in reference to the strongly twisted or tightly coiled achenes (fruit) of this species and also giving it the vernacular name Corkscrew beggarticks.