POHUTAKAWA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 91, 11 January 1919, Page 5

POHUTAKAWA

!*■ / (By H.M.C.)/

The pohutakawa (Metrosidero's tomentosa) trees in the City Corporation.plain tation at the eastern end of Courtonay ■Place are now to be seen with thoir display of brilliant red flowers and. handsome foliago of various shades of green. ' Since the smaller, growths have been .removed fiom around the shrubs they havo -put on a lot of branches, and have developed into handsome trees, which relievo, tiie.eyo.froni the sight of ths'bare and. unattractive . surroundings, giving tho place quite a charm,.and lifting the thoughts- of trams, hard pavements and shops to memories of Christmas.' • The common name for the pdhutakawa, 'is.;..Christmas'-Tree, which name 'has* doubtless heen given; because it blooms during De.cember and early January, when its blossoms can bo: seen all around ;tho coast.' . -•' 7 '■■■ ' "■ , It is .one of the tresis of tho'bays and harbours, of tho Par North to see'the glowing' bunches of; red 'flowers with tho dark foliage rkht down to the'seashore reflected, in the. calm waters. The blossoms also colour portions of tho "/bush" in much tho.same 'manner that those of its '----•; '•'■■• -„tft, colour some of our rs bu^h": liillsideo. .~" T{ii!-"biu,,r-.;.. Island, in • Waitemata. Harbour,' presents a'fine, sight when the tloivers of the pohutakawa are out, for on this remarkable island tho trees are very plentiful and growing closely togothor with their roots through the cracks in the caked scoria, What was once barren scoria-covered land is now closely'wooded, and; the long roots seem vto have.'penetrated down to longcovered soil, where they', appear to derive; their sustenance and thrive well: It _was by the roofs of the sacred pohutakawa • tree growing < at Cape Keinga that tho spirits of departed Maoris slid down to the underworld ore they took their long journey to Hawaiki. A. , hpint s Leap—Rercnga Wnjrua—as the ; ]uraping-oir place is called, is situate* at the extreme north of the North Island, Lwhore the pohutakawa roots ssread down a cliff to the beach ,below; and it ;was down the trailing roots that the spirits took their departure. "He down the pohutakawa tree" was used as a figure of c-peech by the Maoris to signify that somebody had died.-. This method 'of spirits entering the underworld is traceable in. the legends of several of the islands of Polynesia, only the names of the trees vary. "In Earotonga and Mangaia the spirits jumped-,. oft' from the pua tree, and div-' • ed beneath the ocean on their way to Avaiki or Spirit Land."—S. Percy Smith; . ,-' i \ ;■. At Vanua-lavn, Fiji, the spirits departed, by. the halava'(Pandanus). The .order in which the. blossoms of the pohutakawa appear is said hy some natives to indicate to some extent the kind of season to bo expected. At Lake Eoto.iti there are two old trees termed Kakau-wha-tau. which were looked upon as sure guides.to the seasons, insomuch that if the flowers appeafled .on the" lowest branches first and increased upwards it was a sign-of a warm afid pleasant season, but if the blossomsappeared at the top hrst and spread downwards then a cold, wet season or a "hungry year" would surely follow. In Maori legend tho pohutakawa tree has. a place;-and in "Maori Forest Lore" i . ?, e n St tW---"I* the old-time legend of Tawhakj, and his ascent to the heavens, it is stated that-after his encounter with Tama-i-waho the hapless Tawhaln fell frouv the heavens.and perished at the place where the'sky "hangs down. When the people of this lower world awoke next morn, behold! tho rata, pohutakawa, the kowhai trees were «Li"f' %'**&?&■■ : 'V- v the blood (tolo)of Tawhalci, ;-nd the kura (red feathei-ornaments) of his'taiaha'(a weapon). aro;aeen. in the blossom of those trees." .' I