SHRUBS OF THE WILD

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1930, Page 13 (Supplement)

SHRUBS OF THE WILD

MAORI NATURE NOTES

By

J.H.S.

■Copyright.) \ ■

The Poroporo.-— The poroporo (a farewell eupphcx* tibn: dark) is a handsome shrub about twelve - feet high, with double dark ‘green leaves of from two to nine inches. . The flower is like that of its? cousin, the potato, but is larger and is of deep purple ranging' from violet to white. The fruit is shining light’green,but orange when ripe. Flowers and fruit in' all stages appear together for ■ several months in striking contrast with thovery dark shade of the Handsome leaves. The fruit ■is pdible ,and widely distributed by 'birds,' It is nearly re-' lated'to the tomato'and the cape goose-! ■berry, and to the deadly , nightshade? from which atropine and belladonna are obtained?. /.■ ■ , A caterpillar attacks „ the fruit and imparts to it the sqme repulsive flavour as that /qf the‘ leaf which is poisonous. The (Maori. made a healing ointment from the leaves, and the plant has sac - .red' significance - to him? A new variety ■ with • strikingly handsome flovrer and broader leaves has? recently come to light. It blooms freely in a few months from ! planting. ‘Toroporo, aki ki to Atua” were the final words'to a British officer about to be killed' with a Maori tomahawk at Te Ngutu o- te Manu. The Five Finger.— ‘ The raukawa (bitter leaf) is familiar to' ali as the five finger? Ithas dark grepn,' five' pointed, Teayes up to nine inches, across. .The flpwers are? small? but are in clusters followed by: bunches! of? hajd black seed,-;"Which. give to* the? foliage a distinctive and attractive appearance., There? is no tree in/this? country which grows more quickly, ■ and? if. moderately/sheltered'-when young ■it soon gives an appropriate by ita - very dark (leafage with? all /ether; trees in the shrubbery. \ - ■ Its aroma, when brought out by rubbing the leaves in the hands, is really attractive, ,and j.one wonders why it is not even made knowrras a commercial perfume. The Maori girls anointed, their moist healthy skin by rubbing it with the leaves from head to foot. To a variety of the. raukawa the ancient’ Greek gave a v name which. signifies “a .iiniversai; remedy.” G.Froffiiit the -Chinese Ginseng was produced, and that' was regarded as .haying? miraculous virtues. 'But it is apparently too “cainmoh”-. to attract our auaiysts r .'.-- r i : The Wild Irishman;/?- >'. • ■ - -The tumatakuru hks a hame-that-be-' tokens fear, and nd .wonder,, for every bird or animal must apprehend the sharp/ hard pointed, thorny ‘‘Wild.lrishman.” It grows like gorse on; sandy barren places, and varies'its form and ' naiture accordingto ; environment,'; It is almost or quite leafless Jn .an arid situation, where-leaves would increase respiration and the need of moisture. • In damp places and wet seasons the foliage appears at will, and is as’quickly shed? but the thorns persist. In high, cold places, it assumes,.a treelike form, .and the wood is found ,tq( be wonderfully hard, tpugh, and pliant. On low dry .land, it (is ■an impenetrable tangle of thorny spikes. Dr. Cockayne , ■made history in experiments regarding its adaptability.-./JDarwih.. would have, revelled in its-study as? an object lesson by , which the .theory>of fixity in species must: be discarded. ’ . The Rohutu.—r ■ ‘? i ■.■,•■ The rohutu (a wooden comb)’ is one of the- four- New ■Zealand-myrtles. It •leaves are small? pale green and heart shaped hnd’are quiteunlike those of its. better known sister' myrtle, the ramarama. It also has smaller white.flowers ■which have a • sweeter scent than the well-beloved myrtle.? The comparatively larger round berries coloured, black, red, ■white,’ or'pale violet, according to some ■subtle change in? soil ‘ or? surroundings,: are of pleasant-aromatic'flavour, The ■Maoris, so dependent upon wild fruits £or?thdir very existence/ -epread. a flax '• ■whariki at/the- foot' of? ’the. .'tree and? shook it till the'ripe berries fell. Being but a small’ tree, though hardy, it is in danger of extinction; more especially as we still seem to have no systematic collectors /of. native seeds . oc? cultivators of native plants’ among pur gardeners or A deep ; rose colour in the even grain, of the small tree trunk gives it a special value, to the wood-turner or carver. ' The Taupata.— ' '• The taupata (growing)-is’familiar? as a hedge' plant, 'with leaves, polished like ;dark green glass. No other tree or'shrub? can rival its' shining - surface ?o£. richly / veined leaves. It? grows/readily. from? cuttings, and renews its youth and? beauty each ■ time itds trimmed.- IV favours the stormrswe.pt rocks of the ,sea, and never sheds a- leaf or loses a •branch un a hurricane}-against which nature provides leather-like foliage, ■ tough stems, rand'-,clinging > roots, To. this, end the branches assume a triangle? shape father than rouhd. - A profusion ; of small blossoms is hidden by the foliage; but the bright orange, berries form a striking contrast to the dark .sheen of the leaves, and are'much sought by birds* ■'? An attempt has been made ,to connect its first appearance in New Zealand with the hoe (paddles) of the Arawa canoe. But this fails, like many legends, when analysed, for taupata grows dqly iii New Zealand and Norfolk Island. • The Broad Leaf.— ■ The papauma (broad .breast) or.para-' parauma, is the common broad leaf, in some tribes called kapttkai It is a handsome tree with bright green foliage not unlike the Jcaraka, .but with toothed leaves. It favours the sheltered harbours and river sides,, particularly on the coast near Cook Strait, and is-eaid to be a well-known .climber in the forest,. On this point} however, botanists differ, so the Maori solves it in his! own way, “Ko wai ka moiho” (who knows?) , It is . now being freely planted as a quick-growing? garden shrub or shelter? 'hedge, "?.. , j , ' The name- of a place near Wellington is. giyen .as Paraparaumu (refuse from the ovens)- but old Maoris declare it to have been originally Paraparauma, and this seems likely, for up to fifty-years ago there were fine groves of this attractive shelter, on/the spot. If, as 'stated, it is identical?;with/the climber of 103 feet, then 'the transformation in? habit and in the shape of the leaf is. indeed, remarkable.- ‘?