Aeschynomene aspera – Sola Pith Plant, Ambatch Wood

Description

Aeschynomene aspera is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is also known by the names sola, shola, sola pith plant, pith plant, laugauni, Bendu-chettu, ponguchedi or Netti. The low density wood of this plant is used to make hats known as pith helmets or sola topis.

It is native to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

It is an aquatic plant and is considered a minor weed of rice paddies across its range.