The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word LEIS
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
L
E
I
S
More clues leading to the result LEIS
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Garlands from exotic 26" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case garlands from exotic 26 = leis.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does LEIS mean?
LEIS noun- A garland of flowers in Hawaii.