POROPOHO, A BEAUTIFUL SHRUB.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 249, 21 October 1933, Page 2 (Supplement)

POROPOHO, A BEAUTIFUL SHRUB.

(By L. M. CRANWELL.)

I was tired and hot when I first saw it—a. white-flowered poroporo gleaming l>y the roadside. Perhaps it was only a minor thrill, but it brightened the whole of that dusty ribbon of road running from I'ort Waikato to the Hurunui River, and, oh, much further beyond. At the time I knew it to be less handsome than the purple variety so common in lowland districts throughout the country, but it had |ust then the merit of novelty. Poroporo Is a quick-growing, low, spreading shrub of about Bft to 10ft, without finicky tastes as to soil and aspect. It is equally at home on clay banks and rugged lava fields. The most * handsome specimen I have ever seen grows on a scoria slope on Rangitotp Island. It is rather taller than usual, so one has to climb into its heavy boughs to see its first spring flowers, which appear in September, The whole beauty pf the plant, however, is concentrated for nearly three months in the clusters of brilliant fruit draped along its branches. White-eyes find them as goon as they begin to soften, and they must steal many a royal feast from this tree. Poroporo, then, lias these claims to consideration for planting in our gardens—striking dark green foliage, showy leaves ranging in colour from pain, violet to deep purple, and, lastly, brilliant yellow or even tangerine berries. Surely there are dozens of dull corners in Auckland that could be made attractive with a living screen of poroporo. . Birds are not alone in their liking for poroporo berries; the early settlers called them "balli-bulli" and often made

thcip into jaii). When, plums and peaches became more plentiful poroporo went off the menu. Perhaps some Burbank of.the future wi)l set himself the task of improving it and we may then have something as tasty as its cousins the Cape Gooseberry (so common on new bush burns in some parts of the eouutrv), or the tree tomato. We can at least congratulate ourselves that our two native relatives "of the potato (poroporo and the black nightshade) are quite harmless. All foreign solanums naturalfeed in New Zealand should be viewed with suspicion. Two of the bqst known in waste places near Auckland are the Sodom or Dead Sea apple and the tail furry-leaved ..plant so common near Mount Eden and <,111 the fringes of the [ native bush in Grafton Gully. Only once have I seen anyone brave the Dead Sea apple. One cautious bit-j was enough for this person to realise that the plant was well named. His face went white and lie was in agony for several mjnutes, If we are fortunate in having no native poisonous solanums we, of course, add nothing new to the Wonderful products such an tobacco and belladonna that this, family yields. The C!■•rntific name Solatium is derived from the pleasant Latin word Solaiuen, meaning .solace or quieting. This, of joiirse, refers to tile sootl)ing properties of members of this remarkable family. Even the most dangerous plants may yield potent drugs that can do

nuipli to ease the sufferings of mankind. It is interesting' to note tlint jtt the present time New Zealand, contributes nothing . towards tlie plant drug resources of the world. The Flowers.—l'oroporo flowers'are so much like tliose of the potato that you should recognise theni with They are larger, however, and more beautiful. The flower, unlike those of kiekie, which I (Jescribed last week, is of a, normal type, that is, it has sepals, petals and both male and female elements, Both sepals and' petals, of which there are usually five, are united, the latter being shaped like a wide, shallow bell. These stiff petals are linked by frilled wings, which on unfolding, give a look of grace which was rather lacking when the bud first opened. Inside again are live tall stamens which slie.l their pollen from slits at the tips of the two-cham-

bered ajithprs. The stignni is a little knob ou tlie tnj) of a slender violet style poking out just beyond the stamens. As I liave said the plant is common enough, bpt if you have no elianee of seeing it wild before the holidays, perhaps you would like to have a look at the splendid specimens growing near the practice-pitches at the University. Next week's notes will he about Taranga or "native daphne," a line plant of which ifi- npw in bloom in the Loder colleotion in the Domain. I hope you have already seen the gay presentation plate of native flowers in the new Brett's Christmas Number. Kearly all these plants are common in the hush, but it is unlikely that you will have seen either the kaka-beak (kowhai ngutu kaka) or the large golden buttercup. It is true that the former still lingers on inaccessible bluffs in the centre of the island, but it iri becoming more and more common as a garden plant. The buttercup is common enough if you know where to liijd it. It usually grows above the timber line, but occasionally one comes across it forming lovely golden patches on rocky ground in wet mountain forests. While the small flowered "mountain flax" is found both along coastal cliffs and 011 mountain sidei-s, the-, larger flowered -species keeps, strictly to the lowlands. In the whau. the kowhai and the poroporo you should recognise plants already figured in this column. i