# Outdoors > Other outdoors, sports, huts and tracks >  Native plant identification

## ebf

I'm keen to increase my practical plant id skills. In broad terms, I want to work on a list of 5-10 of the most important plants in the following categories:

Deer food:   Seven Finger / Pate / Schefflera digitata
   Five Finger / Whauwhaupaku / Pseudopanax arboreus
   NZ Broadleaf / Kapuka / Griselinia littoralis
Nasty   Gorse / ??? / Ulex europaeus
   Bushmans Lawer / Onga Onga / Urtica Ferox
   ??? / Tutu / Coriaria arborea
   Cutty grass / Toetoe / Austroderia
Usefull / Medicinal   Dock / ??? / ???
   ??? / Kawa Kawa / ???
Edible (human)   Fern root / Aruhe / ???
   ??? / Hinau / Elaeocarpus dentatus
   ??? / Tawa / Beilschmiedia tawa
   ??? / Kiekie / Freycinetia banksii
   Black tree fern / Mamaku / Cyathea medullaris

Pls help me flesh out the lists...

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## Dougie

Pepper plant....  :Wink:

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## ebf

Dougie, you mean Kawa Kawa right ? Is that the "English" name ?

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## Dougie

Might be. It's edible, looks like a spotty red and green leaf on shrubby bushes, can be big but usually only sort of 1sm at largest. Chew on the lovely leaves and have a burning mouth for a few minutes! Like a mouth full of pepper.

EDIT it's not the same thing, still can't find the other name for pepper plant.

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## Dougie

I think the plant I am talking about is Horopito. Not sure if it's actually good for anything other than pranking your mates  :Have A Nice Day:

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## ebf

naa, kawa kawa is heart shaped green leaves with lots of holes in them from where the kawakawa looper has eaten it. the moe holes, the spicier it is. good for toothache and upset tummy. also burn wet leaves as insecticide and sandfly repellant. very cool plant.

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## Barefoot

Horopito can be used to give a pepper type taste to food. Have used it on trips. Use SPARINGLY!

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## Dougie

It's used for quite a few other medicinal purposes, google tells me

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## Chris

Might want to add Koromiko & Manuka to the medical list .

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## petree

nice thread,look forward to this one going for a while and learning

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## Chris

1 for the deer food list is Mahoe . Deer go crazy on it after the roar & at other times of year .Seems there is something in it they need after ,weather a tonic or a mineral /trace element in it.

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## hillclima

Kawakawa = Macropiper excelsum

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## hillclima

Horopito = Pseudowintera colorata

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## hillclima

Aruhe or fern root, the rhizome of bracken fern = Pteridium esculentum

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## mucko

deer eat a bit of Rangiora up the back of my place

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## Barefoot

Flesh of the karaka berry is tasty, but *DON'T EAT THE SEED* its poisonous
As a kid I was told to not even eat the flesh, then a few years ago watched my father in law do it and learnt it was only the seed that will kill you.

I have a sudden urge to put a disclaimer on the comment above like "I take not responsibility for the stupidity of others . . . ."

Oh and bracken root tastes like dirt even after boiling, mashing and a good lump of butter.

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## ebf

awesome, keep it up guys

updated list:


Deer food:
Broadleaf / Kapuka / Griselinia littoralis
Bushmans Friend / Rangiora / Brachyglottis repanda
Five Finger / Whauwhaupaku / Pseudopanax arboreus
Seven Finger / Pate / Schefflera digitata
Whiteywood / Mahoe / Melicytus ramiflorus

Nasty
Bushmans Lawer / Onga Onga / Urtica Ferox
Cutty grass / Toetoe / Austroderia
Gorse / ??? / Ulex europaeus
??? / Tutu / Coriaria arborea

Useful / Medicinal
Dock / ??? / ??? - treatment for Onga Onga sting
Flax / Harakeke / Phormium colensoi & tenax - pulp of leaves & roots, heated, use for infections and boils
Pepper Tree / Kawa Kawa / Macropiper excelsum - toothache, upset tummy
??? / Horopito / Pseudowintera colorata - leaves & tender branches steeped, use for chafing, wounds, bruises, cuts
??? / Koromiko / ???
??? / Kowhai / ???
??? / Manuka / ??? - leaves made into tea for fever, ash for dandruff
??? / Rata / ???

Edible (human)
Black tree fern / Mamaku / Cyathea medullaris
Fern root / Aruhe / Pteridium esculentum - carbohydrate, root cooked, then beaten to remove hard outer skin
??? / Hinau / Elaeocarpus dentatus
??? / Kiekie / Freycinetia banksii
??? / Tawa / Beilschmiedia tawa

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## ebf

> Might want to add Koromiko & Manuka to the medical list .


Chris, for Koromiko, do you mean Hebe salicifolia or Hebe stricta ?

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## Dougie

Can we beef this up with photos? Get mods to clean it up?

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## ebf

Dougie, my experience with photos for plant id is pretty much hit and miss. Often you need to combine characteristics of two or more parts (leaves, seeds, bark etc) to get positive id)

If you get a good leaf key that helps, but best option is to learn distinguishing characteristics and combine in into a mnemonic. Five finger = fine serration on leaves. I'll bring some good leaf keys along for the next hike.

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## veitnamcam

Tussok,hebes,broom.Deer also love the soft new shoots on gorse.

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## Chris

Medicinal properties of k
 Hebe stricta - restores normal bowl function very quickly ,most cases over night. 

Manuka was used  to cure VD AS WELL

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## sako75

The soft tips of Supple Jack is nice to eat. Peal off the outer and it taste quite a bit like beans

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## Toby

Cabbage tree?

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## Barefoot

> Cabbage tree?


Yes, the heads of them are edible apparently, but a lot of work to test the theory.
Probably needs a good boilup too.

Which reminds me - the two obvious -  Puha (sow thistle) and watercress

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## Chris

> Cabbage tree?


If you get right into the center of the head of the tree ,the base or pith(the white bit) of the spear like center can be eaten raw.

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## ebf

> Tussok,hebes,broom.Deer also love the soft new shoots on gorse.


VC, all of these for the deer food category ?

Can you be a bit more specific ? Which broom species (the invasive pioneer plant or the local species) ?

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## ebf

Latest updates:

Deer food:
Kapuka / Broadleaf / Griselinia littoralis
Mahoe / Whiteywood / Melicytus ramiflorus
Pate / Seven Finger / Schefflera digitata
Rangiora / Bushmans Friend / Brachyglottis repanda
Whauwhaupaku / Five Finger / Pseudopanax arboreus

Nasty
Onga Onga / Bushmans Lawyer / Urtica Ferox
Toetoe / Cutty grass / Austroderia
Tutu / ??? / Coriaria arborea
??? / Gorse / Ulex europaeus

Usefull / Medicinal
Harakeke / Flax / Phormium colensoi & tenax - pulp of leaves & roots, heated, use for infections and boils
Horopito / ??? / Pseudowintera colorata - leaves & tender branches steeped, use for chafing, wounds, bruises, cuts
Kawa Kawa / Pepper Tree / Macropiper excelsum - toothache, upset tummy
Koromiko / ??? / Hebe stricta - eating young leaves is a remedy for constipation
Kowhai / ??? / Sophora spp.
Manuka / Manuka / Leptospermum scoparium - leaves made into tea for fever, ash for dandruff
Rata / ??? / ???
??? / Dock / ??? - treatment for Onga Onga sting

Edible (human)
Aruhe / Fern root / Pteridium esculentum - carbohydrate, root cooked, then beaten to remove hard outer skin
Hinau / ??? / Elaeocarpus dentatus
Karaka / ??? / Corynocarpus laevigatus - flesh of berries, seed is poisonous
Kiekie / ??? / Freycinetia banksii
Mamaku / Black tree fern / Cyathea medullaris
Puha / Sow Thistle / ???
Ti Kouka / Cabbage tree / Cordyline australis - center of the head of the tree ,the base or pith(the white bit) of the spear like center can be eaten raw
Tawa / ??? / Beilschmiedia tawa
Kowhitiwhiti / Watercress / ???

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## SiB

Cabbage tree: do note that extracting the centre of the base of the tree, or the pith  (I understood it to be the crown under where the flower pops out) is fatal for the tree. They don't like it you know. Must admit if I was stuck in the bush and hungry there'd be no 2nd thought - but felt I should comment lest some members decide to do a 'bush survival' menu for their Christmas dinner . . . . . .

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## veitnamcam

> VC, all of these for the deer food category ?
> 
> Can you be a bit more specific ? Which broom species (the invasive pioneer plant or the local species) ?


Yep. The native broom that grows in alpine environments

Sent from my GT-S5360T using Tapatalk 2

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## Dundee

This is another common nettle

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## Dougie

Always gotta have a sock or a gumboot in the pic if it's any good  :Have A Nice Day:

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## Rushy

> Always gotta have a sock or a gumboot in the pic if it's any good


Well you wouldn't want to stick your bare foot on that lot Dougie.

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## Mohawk660

> awesome, keep it up guys
> 
> updated list:
> 
> 
> Deer food:
> Broadleaf / Kapuka / Griselinia littoralis
> Bushmans Friend / Rangiora / Brachyglottis repanda
> Five Finger / Whauwhaupaku / Pseudopanax arboreus
> ...




Great Thread would be awesome if all you budding botanist could post some pictures up as well would be appreciated by alot of ppl on here.

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## Dougie

I found some young onga onga today!!  :Grin:   :Grin:  hahaa...muppet...

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## ebf

> I found some young onga onga today!!   hahaa...muppet...


Yup, but only after you touched it !!! Better to Identify it before touching  :Grin: 

Dougie also found some Horopito for me to taste. HOLY CRAP it's hot...

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## Rushy

> Yup, but only after you touched it !!! Better to Identify it before touching 
> 
> Dougie also found some Horopito for me to taste. HOLY CRAP it's hot...


Horopito is good shit.  My bush Spag Bol's have chopped up Horopito in them.

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## Dougie

> Yup, but only after you touched it !!! Better to Identify it before touching 
> 
> Dougie also found some Horopito for me to taste. HOLY CRAP it's hot...


Hehehe, good trick huh! Pull that one on your not-mates another time. Or better yet, one of those fat americans that is looking for the "Deer Xing".......  :Wink:

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## Dundee

> Yup, but only after you touched it !!! Better to Identify it before touching 
> 
> Dougie also found some Horopito for me to taste. HOLY CRAP it's hot...


Thats the pepper wood tree?

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## Dougie

Yep the green leaf with sort of red colour 'bleeding' from the edges.

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## Chris

Koromiko    Hebe stricta    

http://motuihe.org.nz/motuihe/imgUpl...20&%20Seed.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XObY6bo2hF...0/P1050881.JPG

We used this to sort the white scours in calves ,by boiling the leaves until the water turned light green,
strained off the leaf material & added the water into the calf milk.

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## R93

Good thread this is. I know what most of our wild animals eat and browse but apart from a couple things have know idea what they are called. :Thumbsup:

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## sakokid

they would walk past all that native stuff for a feed of fat juicey turnip leaves thats for sure. :Psmiley:

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## Dundee

> they would walk past all that native stuff for a feed of fat juicey turnip leaves thats for sure.


Might help if it rained thou :Psmiley:

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## roig

> deer eat a bit of Rangiora up the back of my place


I could've sworn Rangiora was a small North Canterbury town. Do these deer eat people or just buildings? :Grin:

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## Rock river arms hunter

Pepper wood is a deer favorite, Matagouri can contain particularly fallow during the early arvo but its really nasty shit! Spear grass is in the nasty's. 

Rimu is also a good deer habitat 

crown fern is a good bet for finding the elusive whitetail. 
Manuka and kanuka are great fallow hiding trees which are a must to poke through. both are great for camo'ing your mai mai up or for use as a temporary blind for parries.

rata is iron wood, quite a bit in the north west arm of the catlins. with vines interspersing. best bet,go 200m in to escape the re gen and then its a bit easier. but not by much!.

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## Dundee

Heres a few
Hemlock


Convolfulas



And grass :Grin:

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## Dundee

Heres the two pics I missed

Convolfulos


The friggen grass is taller than me but hey I'm no giant

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## Rushy

Our pommie fore fathers have a lot to answer for bringing weeds in to this country.  Reckon I should round up a bunch of them and get them to take the scotch thistle and ragwort back off of my farm.

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## Dundee

They can have my ragwort too while ya at it Rushy.There are so many nasty weeds in our beautiful bush.

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## P38

Ngaio (Myoporum Laetum) 

Can be used to repel sandflys and mosquito by rubbing the leaves on your skin.

Can also be toxic to stock.

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## Bagheera

> I'm keen to increase my practical plant id skills. In broad terms, I want to work on a list of 5-10 of the most important plants in the following categories:
> 
> Deer food:   Seven Finger / Pate / Schefflera digitata
>    Five Finger / Whauwhaupaku / Pseudopanax arboreus
>    NZ Broadleaf / Kapuka / Griselinia littoralis
> Stinkwood/?/Coprosma foetidissima
> Nasty   Gorse / ??? / Ulex europaeus
> Stinging nettle/ Onga Onga / Urtica Ferox
>    ??? / Tutu / Coriaria arborea
> ...



I've added some in blue.
Bush lawyer is the vine with little barbs, catches on your clothes.  Stinging nettle has 10cm soft serrated leaves with delicate furry hypodermics underneath.
I've found it quite hard to get a book which is useful for identfying an unknown plant in the bush.  Most, like Salmon's Native Tees focus on trees.  Ferns and vines are harder to reference.  Look for Andrew Crowe's "Which native tree ?' and "Which native forest plant ?" Publ Penguin 1992 and 1994 and reprinted.  and he did a hardcover book "A field guide to the native edible plants of New Zealand"  pbl Collins 1981

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## ebf

ta, been a bit slack with updating, will work my way thru the last few additions later this morning  :Thumbsup:

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## Dougie

Sorry slight off topic and this can be tidied up later, but has anyone seen that program (perhaps it was just the one episode?) about NZ 'native' birds and the whole Gwandana land / Zealandia / New Zealand movement of land etc..? It was really interesting but I wish they had a similar thing for plants!! It was about the evolution of birds and how for example the Kiwi actually started in Aussy.

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## ebf

Visit Welly library and get "Ghosts of Gondwana" by Greorge Gibbs.

Has fauna and flora from a tectonic movement perspective. Includes the divericate plants and proof of moa browsing, as well as some interesting chapters on hebe group of plants and similarities between South America and NZ.

The visitor centre at Zealandia has an awesome visual display from 200 M years ago to today about Gondwana breakup, how Antarctica functioned as a land bridge etc.

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## ebf

Latest updates...

Tx to those providing info  :Thumbsup: 

*Deer food:*
Broadleaf / Kapuka / Griselinia littoralis
Bushmans Friend / Rangiora / Brachyglottis repanda
Crown Fern / Kiokio / Blechnum discolor - Whitetail
Five Finger / Whauwhaupaku / Pseudopanax arboreus
Seven Finger / Pate / Schefflera digitata
Stinkwood / Hūpiro / Coprosma foetidissima
Pepper Wood / ??? / ???
Whiteywood / Mahoe / Melicytus ramiflorus
Wild Irishman / Matagouri / Discaria toumatou - Fallow

*Nasty*
??? / Karaka / Corynocarpus laevigatus - has a poisonous seed in its fleshy orange fruit
??? / Tītoki  / Alectryon excelsus – contains cyanide-producing poisons
Bushmans Lawyer / Tātarāmoa / Rubus cissoides
Cutty grass / Toetoe / Austroderia
Blueberry lilly, Inkberry / Turutu / Dianella Nigra - (purple) berries poisonous
Gorse / ??? / Ulex europaeus
Hookgrass/ ??? / Uncinia spp.
Kangaroo Apple / Poroporo / Solanum aviculare, S. laciniatum – their unripe green berries are poisonous
Kowhai /  Kowhai / Sophora species – its yellow seeds are poisonous if chewed.
Leatherwood / ? / Oleria colensoi
Mousehole Tree / Ngiao / Myoporum Laetum - has poisonous leaves
Spear Grass / ??? / ???
Stinging Nettle / Onga Onga / Urtica Ferox
Tutu / Tutu / Coriaria arborea - just about every part of the tree (roots, bark, berries) is poisonous
 

*Usefull / Medicinal*
??? / Koromiko / Hebe stricta - eating young leaves is a remedy for constipation
??? / Kowhai / Sophora spp.
Dock / ??? / ??? - treatment for Onga Onga sting
Flax / Harakeke / Phormium colensoi & tenax - pulp of leaves & roots, heated, use for infections and boils
Manuka / Manuka / Leptospermum scoparium - leaves made into tea for fever, ash for dandruff
Mousehole Tree / Ngiao / Myoporum Laetum - repel sandflys and mosquito by rubbing the leaves on your skin
Pepper Tree / Kawa Kawa / Macropiper excelsum - toothache, upset tummy
Pepperwood / Horopito / Pseudowintera colorata - leaves & tender branches steeped, use for chafing, wounds, bruises, cuts
Rata / Rata / ???

*Edible (human)*
??? / Hinau / Elaeocarpus dentatus
??? / Karaka / Corynocarpus laevigatus - flesh of berries, seed is poisonous
??? / Kiekie / Freycinetia banksii
??? / Tawa / Beilschmiedia tawa
Black tree fern / Mamaku / Cyathea medullaris
Cabbage tree / Ti Kouka / Cordyline australis - center of the head of the tree ,the base or pith(the white bit) of the spear like center can be eaten raw
Fern root / Aruhe / Pteridium esculentum - carbohydrate, root cooked, then beaten to remove hard outer skin
Sow Thistle / Puha / ???
Suplejack / Kareao / Ripogonum scandens - soft tips are edible
Watercress / Kowhitiwhiti / ???

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## EeeBees

EBF...whitey wood; mahoe (in these parts) boil the tip leaves...taste like cabbage...

you call it stinkwood, here it is called stinking coprosma (only stinks when the foliage has wilted...smells like faecal matter)

Dougie wrote...
_Sorry slight off topic and this can be tidied up later, but has anyone seen that program (perhaps it was just the one episode?) about NZ 'native' birds and the whole Gwandana land / Zealandia / New Zealand movement of land etc..? It was really interesting but I wish they had a similar thing for plants!! It was about the evolution of birds and how for example the Kiwi actually started in Aussy._

Not possible, Dougie, no Kiwi started in Australia, I will not have it :Grin:  :Grin: 

Then you have the vegetation on Campbell's Island...unbelievable...try the book Campbell Island - Land of the Blue Sunflower by Derek Fell, published by Bateman.

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## kiwijames

Mountain tutu has to be on the deer food list. Sika magnet in spring.

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## EeeBees

> Our pommie fore fathers have a lot to answer for bringing weeds in to this country.  Reckon I should round up a bunch of them and get them to take the scotch thistle and ragwort back off of my farm.


Many of the introduced plants,  were not weeds in the Auld Countrees...ragwort was a garden plant, honeysuckle...etc

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## Pengy

> Our pommie fore fathers have a lot to answer for bringing weeds in to this country.  Reckon I should round up a bunch of them and get them to take the scotch thistle and ragwort back off of my farm.


Tell ya wot me ole china, you pay for the airfare and i will take back whatever you want me to take.

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## EeeBees

EBF, are you  referring to Red Dock?   Rumex aquaticus.
Sow thistle...Sonchus arvensis...
Watercress...Nasturtium officinale

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## kiwijames

Mountain tutu - Coriaria Plumose

Not to be confused with Archbishop Desmond Tutu

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## ebf

Haha, the "arch", he is such a cool guy ! Awesome sense of humour  :Thumbsup:

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## deepsouthaussie

Interesting thread, Are there any good books available someone can recommend that I can match the names with pictures so i have a better chance of identifing them on my walks  :Have A Nice Day: ..

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## ebf

*Books:* 

*Andrew Crow*
Field Guide to Native Edible Plants
Which Native Fern
Which Native Forest Plant
Which Native Tree

*John Dawson & Rob Lucas*
Nature Guide to the New Zealand Forest

*Johanna Knox*
A Foragers Treasury
*Websites:* 
Nga Tipu Whakaoranga (Maori Plant Use)
http://maoriplantuse.landcareresearch.co.nz

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/native-p...ts and animals

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## ebf

> EBF, are you  referring to Red Dock?   Rumex aquaticus.
> Sow thistle...Sonchus arvensis...
> Watercress...Nasturtium officinale


tx EeeBees, re Dock, don't think so, more likely to be Native (flexuosus) or Common (obtusifolius), will check with a botanist friend

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## EeeBees

> Heres a few
> Hemlock
> Attachment 5702


Sorry to contradict you, Dundee but I think that is fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) not to be confused with the culinary version Florence Fennel!  This is Hemlock...I have seen it growing in NZ but cannot recall where!

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## EeeBees

This is one of the most authorative books on our native flora...written by Mrs E C Richards...well worth trying to locate one...

Our New Zealand Trees and Flowers - E C Richards - sella Online Auctions & Classifieds | New Zealand

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## deepsouthaussie

Cool. Thanks lads on my list for next time I head to the library 

Sent from my GT-P5210 using Tapatalk

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## moonhunt

Is this our native orchard ? 
Taken on a forestry skidder

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## Rushy

EeeBees when was the last time you were called a lad?

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## teFerrarri

Sisyrinchium....  prolific garden plant

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## Rushy

Jeez you fellah's and fellesses know some stuff. Your brains must be hurting all the time with that much information crammed in them. I make it a habit to deliberately forget everything I learn by permanently deleting it from my memory. That way my head never hurts but the trade off is I know fuck all about anything.

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## sako75

I had to go to a job and got confused/baffled by the long winded answer to a simple question. now i have a headache FFS  :Sad:

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## Pengy

In the spirit of paying it forward and all that, I have a copy each of Andrew crowe, Native Trees and Native Shrubs. Very handy pocket sized guides. 
First up...best dressed. FOC

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## moonhunt

Ill grab the shrub one, swap you for Greg Caigou- Hunting adventures as I have 2 of them, how does that sound

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## moonhunt

> Sisyrinchium....  prolific garden plant


Bugger I thought I may have found an orchard

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## Pengy

> Ill grab the shrub one, swap you for Greg Caigou- Hunting adventures as I have 2 of them, how does that sound


PM me your postal address mate and its yours. No swaps needed, thnks for the offer.

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## EeeBees

> EeeBees when was the last time you were called a lad?


Never actually :Grin:  :Grin:

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## EeeBees

> This is another common nettleAttachment 5164Attachment 5165


The top leaves can be cooked as with spinach.   Urtica dioica.   It is one of the richest of tonics!

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## Dundee

> The top leaves can be cooked as with spinach.   Urtica dioica.   It is one of the richest of tonics!


Well I'm fucken sure not brewing that shit up Eeebees :Wink:

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## ebf

Dundee, just add some of your moonshine, it will be allright  :Grin:

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## Dynastar27

Urtica Ferox


this is a nasty plant rushy showed me this when he took me hunting afew weekends ago

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## Dundee

onga onga

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## Rushy

> onga onga


Yep it is guaranteed to be exactly where you reach out to grab hold of when you over balance after jumping across a stream.

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## ebf

Better that than it being where you reach for a leaf to wipe where the sun don't shine  :Zomg:

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## Rushy

> Better that than it being where you reach for a leaf to wipe where the sun don't shine


Very true ebf. That would certainly get your attention.

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## Dynastar27

yea man bugger wiping you ass with that  :Oh Noes:

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## EeeBees

Watch your dogs around it too when it is dropping its leaves...deciduous...

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## Pengy

I discovered the delights of Ongaonga a couple of years ago in Pureora. 
I got quite badly stung along my right forearm. Take note ! Putting the affected part of your anatomy into an ice cold creek is NOT the way to get relief. It actually made the pain 5 times worse  :Sad:

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## veitnamcam

> I discovered the delights of Ongaonga a couple of years ago in Pureora. 
> I got quite badly stung along my right forearm. Take note ! Putting the affected part of your anatomy into an ice cold creek is NOT the way to get relief. It actually made the pain 5 times worse


Piss on it

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## Dundee

> Piss on it



Only Waikato up there but that piss should work :Yaeh Am Not Durnk:

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## Pengy

If it comes down to having to drink Waikato in order to get pain relief, I will carry on suffering thanks

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## EeeBees

Strangely enough if you peel the bark off a stick of the ongaonga and soothe the inner bark over the sting points the pain is relieved...have done it myself a few times although if badly enough stung you would hardly be in any frame of mind to get the old knife out and start hacking!!  Does work!!

Polyneuropathy is damage (peripheral neuropathy) to multiple nerves which can result from bad to severe stings.   One person in New Zealand is recorded as having died from the effects of multiple stings...a scantily dressed hunter.

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## Pengy

Nubile nymphs dress "scantilly", not hunters  :Wink:

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## 308

Isn't dock leaf meant to fix ongaonga stings? I've heard of pissing on it too, same as blisters

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## ebf

> Isn't dock leaf meant to fix ongaonga stings?


Yes, trying to work out which specific dock species, there are several, or if it is the whole family.

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## Rushy

> Yes, trying to work out which specific dock species, there are several, or if it is the whole family.


I would have thought the odds of a dock plant being in close proximity to the Ongaonga that got you in the bush would be fairly remote anyway.

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## Gibo

> If it comes down to having to drink Waikato in order to get pain relief, I will carry on suffering thanks


Sweet I wont have to shout you anymore  :Psmiley:   :Thumbsup:

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## EeeBees

> Isn't dock leaf meant to fix ongaonga stings? I've heard of pissing on it too, same as blisters


No,  dock will draw the sting from the introduced nettle...Urtica dioica.

The saying goes...nettle in, dock out...

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## EeeBees

Wharengarara (Pimelea prostrata), also known as NZ Daphne and Pinatoro is found pretty much throughout the North Island.   It bears reddish to white berries which are edible and could sustain you for a time...avoid eating the foliage!




This is a lovely little plant...lizards like it probably because of the insects attracted to its flowers and fruit.

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## Dundee

> Wharengarara (Pimelea prostrata), also known as NZ Daphne and Pinatoro is found pretty much throughout the North Island.   It bears reddish to white berries which are edible and could sustain you for a time...avoid eating the foliage!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is a lovely little plant...lizards like it probably because of the insects attracted to its flowers and fruit.


Almost looks like hebes Eeebees :Have A Nice Day:

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## Scouser

Jeese EeeBees your a walking encyclopaedia of plants.......is there anything else that could be used on the dreaded Ongaonga ?

only thing i seem to stumble onto with monotonous regularity is bush lawyer.....got scars to prove it!!!!!!!

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## Gibo

> Jeese EeeBees your a walking encyclopaedia of plants.......is there anything else that could be used on the dreaded Ongaonga ?
> 
> only thing i seem to stumble onto with monotonous regularity is bush lawyer.....got scars to prove it!!!!!!!


Concrete pills help nulify symptoms of both plants  :Grin:

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## Scouser

> Concrete pills help nulify symptoms of both plants


didnt take long.....who rattled your cage....haharrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

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## Gibo

> didnt take long.....who rattled your cage....haharrrrrrrrrrrrrrr


Not cage mate 'Can'  :Grin:  
Couldnt resist a dig  :Wink:

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## Rushy

> Concrete pills help nulify symptoms of both plants


If you don't understand what that means Scouser, he is implying you need to harden the fuck up.

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## Scouser

> If you don't understand what that means Scouser, he is implying you need to harden the fuck up.


Errrrm yes, i got that message Rushy......note to self.....'stop being a whinging fukin pom'.....there, fixed Rushy......

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## Rushy

> Errrrm yes, i got that message Rushy......note to self.....'stop being a whinging fukin pom'.....there, fixed Rushy......


We all need a gentle reminder sometimes.

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## EeeBees

> only thing i seem to stumble onto with monotonous regularity is bush lawyer.....got scars to prove it!!!!!!!


The bush lawyer berries are also edible...rather nice too!!

Re ongaonga...avoidance is probably the only remedy, unfortunately!!!

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## EeeBees

> Nubile nymphs dress "scantilly", not hunters


Pengy!!!   As in rugby type shorts, black singlet and lace up gumboots...the as it was back when quintessential New Zealand hunting garb (along with the parka and the swanny) and knife belt...

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## moonhunt

> In the spirit of paying it forward and all that, I have a copy each of Andrew crowe, Native Trees and Native Shrubs. Very handy pocket sized guides. 
> First up...best dressed. FOC


Was in the post today... many thanks

It even has a little penguin on it

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## 308

Do ya think Calamine lotion would do any good?
The stuff is great on any itchy bites




> The bush lawyer berries are also edible...rather nice too!!
> 
> Re ongaonga...avoidance is probably the only remedy, unfortunately!!!

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## EeeBees

I would suggest an antihistamine cream might be better.  The known toxic substances are mostly acetylcholine, 5- hydroxytryptamine (serotonin), and histamine.(Clark, 1993; Connor, 1977). 

Kawakawa leaves (Macropiper excelsum, Pepper Tree) is a traditional Maori remedy but has limited use as the plant is mostly coastal.

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## ebf

Kawakawa is a very cool plant.

Can use it as a pepper/spice substitute.

Helps for toothache

Burning wet leaves is a good insecticide for sand flies.

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## footsore

Deer food:

Broadleaf / Kapuka / Griselinia littoralis
Bushmans Friend / Rangiora / Brachyglottis repanda
Crown Fern / Kiokio / Blechnum discolor - Whitetail
Five Finger / Whauwhaupaku / Pseudopanax arboreus
Seven Finger / Pate / Schefflera digitata
Stinkwood / Hūpiro / Coprosma foetidissima
Pepper Wood / ??? / ???
Whiteywood / Mahoe / Melicytus ramiflorus
Wild Irishman / Matagouri / Discaria toumatou - Fallow


Nasty

??? / Karaka / Corynocarpus laevigatus - has a poisonous seed in its fleshy orange fruit
??? / Tītoki / Alectryon excelsus  contains cyanide-producing poisons
Bushmans Lawyer / Tātarāmoa / Rubus cissoides
Cutty grass / Toetoe / Austroderia
Blueberry lilly, Inkberry / Turutu / Dianella Nigra - (purple) berries poisonous
Gorse / ??? / Ulex europaeus
Hookgrass/ ??? / Uncinia spp.
Kangaroo Apple / Poroporo / Solanum aviculare, S. laciniatum  their unripe green berries are poisonous
Kowhai / Kowhai / Sophora species  its yellow seeds are poisonous if chewed.
Leatherwood / ? / Oleria colensoi
Mousehole Tree / Ngiao / Myoporum Laetum - has poisonous leaves
Spear Grass / ??? / ???
Stinging Nettle / Onga Onga / Urtica Ferox
Tutu / Tutu / Coriaria arborea - just about every part of the tree (roots, bark, berries) is poisonous



Usefull / Medicinal

??? / Koromiko / Hebe stricta - eating young leaves is a remedy for constipation
??? / Kowhai / Sophora spp.
Dock / ??? / ??? - treatment for Onga Onga sting
Flax / Harakeke / Phormium colensoi & tenax - pulp of leaves & roots, heated, use for infections and boils
Manuka / Manuka / Leptospermum scoparium - leaves made into tea for fever, ash for dandruff
Mousehole Tree / Ngiao / Myoporum Laetum - repel sandflys and mosquito by rubbing the leaves on your skin
Pepper Tree / Kawa Kawa / Macropiper excelsum - toothache, upset tummy
Pepperwood / Horopito / Pseudowintera colorata - leaves & tender branches steeped, use for chafing, wounds, bruises, cuts
Rata / Rata / ???


Edible (human)

??? / Hinau / Elaeocarpus dentatus
??? / Karaka / Corynocarpus laevigatus - flesh of berries, seed is poisonous
??? / Kiekie / Freycinetia banksii
??? / Tawa / Beilschmiedia tawa
Black tree fern / Mamaku / Cyathea medullaris
Cabbage tree / Ti Kouka / Cordyline australis - center of the head of the tree ,the base or pith(the white bit) of the spear like center can be eaten raw
Fern root / Aruhe / Pteridium esculentum - carbohydrate, root cooked, then beaten to remove hard outer skin
Sow Thistle / Puha / ???
Suplejack / Kareao / Ripogonum scandens - soft tips are edible
Watercress / Kowhitiwhiti / ???

Great thread ebf

I've made a few notes for myself that I take with me out hunting including some on deer browse plants. They aren't to hand at the moment but I'll hunt them out and compare notes.
Just looking at your list now off the top of my head...
*Matagouri* I'm not sure deer browse on these shrubs [as they have pretty thorny defences] but you often find deer, or sign, around them. I'd say that deer are there for the grass and the matagouri offers them the security of being able to graze within the cover of the shrubs.
*Pepperwood* I don't think this is a favourite deer fodder, I'm sure they will browse on it when their other options are limited, but it's not something they'd seek out. Maybe it's a seasonal thing ie in the hard times of winter.

I'd add my favourite alpine snack to your human edibles list *Snowberries* - yum
Also *Kawakawa* makes a nice tea -hardly dilmah, but is quite refreshing.

One thing I've been meaning to ask about is -are there any clear plant preferences that the stags have for stripping or polishing their antlers?

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## Scribe

> Deer food:
> 
> Broadleaf / Kapuka / Griselinia littoralis
> Bushmans Friend / Rangiora / Brachyglottis repanda
> Crown Fern / Kiokio / Blechnum discolor - Whitetail
> Five Finger / Whauwhaupaku / Pseudopanax arboreus
> Seven Finger / Pate / Schefflera digitata
> Stinkwood / Hūpiro / Coprosma foetidissima
> Pepper Wood / ??? / ???
> ...


Stags hunt Tanekaha with a passion for the rub up. But they will use Pepperwood this seems to be second choice. Mountain Celery another choice. If there is not a lot of these species they will use manuka, kanuka and anything else available.

A lot depend on the forest type they live In of course. The deer seemed to instinctively know that the top three tree types give a beautiful brown glow to their antlers. Farm deer will often have a dull grey coloured antler because prefered types are just not available.

Up in the Alpine area we hunt there might only be one tiny Tanekaha in 500 hect of tussock and scrub but the stags find them alright and thrash the hell out of them.

Interesting Tanekaha bark boiled was a favourite for years of the home tanner, It gave the skins a nice brown finish.

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## ebf

Thanks footsore, will do a bit of reading and see if matagouri is perhaps a divericate plant, lots of the NZ natives have defence mechanisms when they are below 2 m tall - they have not quite worked out that the moas have become extict  :Grin: 

Yup, kawakawa is a bloody interesting plant. I've even heard of someone making a kawakawa flavoured meringue... Have you seen the looper/worm that lives on the plant and causes all the holes on the leaves ?

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## footsore

Have you come across any Irishman before ebf? It's common on the riverbeds and open terraces down here it has tiny leaves which are protected by the woody stems and thorns -it certainly seems designed to put off browsing moas or animals. In fact in a valley I shoot in, I've noticed that it is acting as protective hedge for any broadleaf growing behind it. You can see the deer have been browsing the broadleaf but stop at the point they would risk a thorn in the eye. Although thinking about it, I guess the leaves would be good tucker - otherwise why develop such formidable defenses? -but just not heavily targeted by deer 'cos of the defenses.

Other deer browse on my list includes *Mapou, Quintina, Marbleleaf, Pigeonwood, Karamu, Ribbonwood, Wineberry*.  On the tops they like [as well as new grasses/tussocks] *Haasts Çarrot, Mtn Daisys and Mt Cook Lillys*.

My brother put me on to the Kawakawa tea -you just rip up a leaf or two and cover with boiling water. I've never noticed any worms on the plant but I'll look closer next time.

Cheers for your post Scribe.  I've never heard of Tanekaha but it looks like a type of Celery Pine that we certainly get down here.

NZ Hunter magazine has been running a series on forest plants lately-well worth chasing up if you haven't seen them already.

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## EeeBees

Tanekaha is known as toatoa in my area.

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## Dundee

I planted this kowhai as a seedling about seven years ago in a cardboard biodegradable one litre milk container. This year is its best bloom yet. Had heaps of tuis and bellbirds and grey warblers visiting it.

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## Pengy

> Tanekaha is known as toatoa in my area.


That is interesting. Toi toi. Toe toe and now it seems Toa toa all in the same country.

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## Ranger 888

Toatoa is a closely related plant to tanekaha.

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## Ranger 888

Careful, bracken fern root is carcinogenic (cancer causing).

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## Sideshow

> Cabbage tree: do note that extracting the centre of the base of the tree, or the pith  (I understood it to be the crown under where the flower pops out) is fatal for the tree. They don't like it you know. Must admit if I was stuck in the bush and hungry there'd be no 2nd thought - but felt I should comment lest some members decide to do a 'bush survival' menu for their Christmas dinner . . . . . .


I have eaten it. It tastes very much like cabbage! Needs lots of salt.
Dad was doing some bulldozing and these trees had to go so we gave it a try...better than wasting the tree

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## EeeBees

if you pull the centre leaves, the palatable ones from the head, it will cause the head to separate into two...you can always tell if a cabbage tree has been 'harvested'!!!

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## EeeBees

> That is interesting. Toi toi. Toe toe and now it seems Toa toa all in the same country.


Pengy, there are many dialects of Te Reo throughout New Zealand...so I have found that it is safer to use the Latin name for plants...just as there are different names for different weeds etc...

toi toi is a misspelling of *toetoe* Austroderia toetoe...

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## Dundee

I had an story published in the NZ Wildlife magazine and when I wrote it it said toi toi which is what I knew and when it was published it read toe toe.

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## EeeBees

Tanekaha (Phyllocladus trichomanoides) is a coniferous tree...the local dialect in my area refers to it as toatoa...and just to confuse everyone even more Haloragis erecta and Phyllocladus alpinus are also known as toatoa...

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## Dundee

Sounds like your talking dirty Eeebees :Grin:

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## Woody

Lemonwood?

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## Lard

> toi toi is a misspelling of *toetoe* Austroderia toetoe...


My first post and it's on plants! The native toetoe is actually Austroderia Fulvida.

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## Gibo

> My first post and it's on plants! The native toetoe is actually Austroderia Fulvida.


In that case I hope you are correct  :Wink:  welcome in  :Grin:

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## EeeBees

we have five members of the austroderia family...

Austroderia fulvida (North + South Islands), Austroderia richardii (North + South Islands; naturalised in Tasmania), Austroderia splendens (coastal parts of North Island), Austroderia toetoe (North Island), Austroderia turbaria (Chatham Islands)

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## distant stalker

Some good info in here, lol yip names vary a heap through regions

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## Lard

> we have five members of the austroderia family...
> 
> Austroderia fulvida (North + South Islands), Austroderia richardii (North + South Islands; naturalised in Tasmania), Austroderia splendens (coastal parts of North Island), Austroderia toetoe (North Island), Austroderia turbaria (Chatham Islands)


I'll give you that! Fulvida is the go to for re-veg projects being more common to both north and south islands (I hope!)

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## Lard

> In that case I hope you are correct  welcome in


Correct.... to a point!

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## Rushy

> Correct.... to a point!


Welcome to the forum Lard.

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## Lard

> Welcome to the forum Lard.


Thank you Rushy.  Neighbours!

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## Rushy

> Thank you Rushy.  Neighbours!


Certainly in the vicinity. I am I  the Woodhill / kiwitahi area.

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