Remarks on the Whau (Entelea arborescens).

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 34, 1901, Page 565

Volume XXXIII. of the Transactions was laid on the table. Professor Easterfield exhibited some branches of the whau (Entelea arborescens). He said he had gathered these specimens from the bush on Sunday, in the only locality where the plant was known to exist between Wellington and New Plymouth, though it was found in localities on the East Coast, and was abundant north of Auckland. The specimen showed clusters of small pretty white flowers, also the seeds, rough and spiny, like large burrs of the piripiri. Mr. Mantell had a flowering tree now growing in his garden, and at this moment was searching for a specimen. [As he spoke the specimen was brought in, displaying the bold green leaves and the flowers to great advantage.] He exhibited it because he thought it was little known, and was one of the most handsome of our many handsome shrubs, though the general form of the tree was not always graceful. In the bush it grew to a height of 30 ft. He understood that it was readily raised from seed. It was sometimes

known as “corkwood,” on account of the exceptional lightness of the wood, which, because of this quality, was used by the natives for floats.