Sesbania tomentosa

Description:

OhaiFabaceaeEndemic to the Hawaiian IslandsEndangeredCoastal Maui formMaui (Cultivated; Kahakuloa, W. Maui form)Ohai were one of the favored lei flowers by early Hawaiians. On Niihau, they called this plant ohai o Papiahuli, the meaning is unknown.Ohai are still used today in lei and strung much like other native pea-like flowers, such as wikiwiki, mmane, nanea, nuku iiwi, and wiliwili.EtymologyThe generic name Sesbania is derived from sesban, the Arabic name for Sesbania sesban (syn S. aegyptiaca), Egyptian rattlepod.The specific epithet tomentosa means "furry" or literally "covered with matted hairs," though not all forms are furry.nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Sesbania_tomentosa