The Rata (Metrosideros robusta) is of the myrtle tribe. When young it is a creeper and a parasite, called then Ratapiki. It gradually strangles and absorbs the tree round which it climbs, becoming eventually a forest giant, gnarled and twisted. In all its stages it bears a gorgeous scarlet flower. The timber is used for rails, posts, and shingles.
The Ti, or "cabbage-tree palm" (Cordyline Australis), grows as high as fifty feet. It branches into various stems, each bearing a head of leaves. The leaf yields a strong fibre. The plentiful seeds are full of oil. The root is farinaceous, and was an item of Maori diet. It is very abundant.
The Toi (Cordyline indivisa) is a more ornamental, rarer, and smaller species of "cabbage-tree;" the leaf is larger, handsomer, and also fibre-yielding. Its root is also esculent, like that of the Ti. The name of Toi likewise belongs to a herb (Barbarea vulgaris), the leaves of which are eaten like cabbage or spinach.
The Tingahere, or "lancewood" (Cordyline stricta), is another species of the same family. It is of very singular appearance, its head resembling a tuft of copper-coloured feathers or hair. There are several more members of this tribe to be seen pretty frequently in the mixed bush.
The Nikau (Areca sapida) attains forty or fifty feet. It is a handsome palm, bearing enormous fronds, often fifteen feet or more in length. They are used for thatching wharès in the forest. Within the crown of the leaves is an edible pith, a stick of pinky-white stuff, the size of a man's arm, eating like celery and cocoa-nut in combination; it is refreshing and wholesome.
The Tawhera or Kie-kie (Freycinetia Banksii) appears to be sometimes a parasite, sometimes a shrub, and sometimes a small tree. It is a curious plant, with tufts of stringy leaves. It bears a fruit very much esteemed by the Maori, which resembles a green pine-apple, small, and eats like honey and cream.
The Koraka (Corynocarpus levigata) was brought to New Zealand by the Maori. It is a small tree, with fine, dark, glossy foliage, which cattle are very fond of. The fruit is edible; the kernel containing "korakine," a narcotic poison. This property, however, appears to be dissipated by heat, as I have known the kernels to be roasted, ground, and made into coffee, without bad result.
The Maire (Santalum Cunninghamii) is not a large tree, but the wood is extremely hard, heavy, and finely grained. It was used by the Maori for war-clubs, and is now sawn and utilized for many purposes. Bushmen call it "Black Maire," to distinguish it from the following:—
The Maire-tawhake (Eugenia Maire), or "White Maire."
The Maire-aunui (Olea Cunninghamii), which, together with the last, is a much bigger tree than the maire, but does not yield such valuable timber.