Orokonui Ecosanctuary/Plants

Orokonui Ecosanctuary

Te Korowai o Mihiwaka - the living cloak of Mihiwaka

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Kā Rākau - Forest

CLOUD FOREST

• Orokonui's annual rainfall of some 800-1200 is barely wet enough to support indigenous forest but is supplemented by sea fogs that help maintain sufficient humidity and soil moisture
  • No distinct tiers of vegetation (canopy, understorey and ground layer) instead comprising of a vertical continuum of ferns, seedlings, saplings, shrubs, vines and trees
    • Uppermost more or less continuous surface formed by the canopies of broadleaved tree species
      • The most characteristic species of cloud forest tree is Pāhautea

Pāhautea/Kaikawaka - New Zealand cedar

• New Zealand has only three true coniferous tree species, kauri and two members of the cedar family
• Pāhautea, also known as kaikawaka, is found in montane and subalpine forests in both main islands, and descends towards the lowlands in the far south
• Common on Dunedin's hills, distinctive conical crown rises above the broadleaved tree canopy
• Orokonui has at least two mature pāhautea - near the Rimu Track
  • Mihiwaka carries quite large populations of the species
    • Pāhautea is high on planting list to ensure that this defining tree of cloud forest continues to thrive in a protected habitat

Makomako - Wineberry

• Dioecious – need female plants
• Warmed leaves used as poultice for rheumatism and burns, boils
• Eaten raw by Maori and made into jam and wine by Europeans.
• Usually die out after 10-15 years
• Tui and Tauhau eat fruit, kereru eat fruit and leaves
• Pūkaikai bird spears - made in sections
• Ipu basins
• Burnt and soot collected for use as tattooing ink

Putaputawētā - Marbleleaf

• Full of weta holes - wētā grubs tunnel it extensively
• Mottled leaves on zigzagging branches
• Distinct juvenile phase with small leaves

Hūpiro - Stinkwood

• Dioecious. - pollinated by wind
• Leaves crushed smell bad!
• Roasted seed is coffee substitute

Mikimiki - Yellow Wood

• Grey interlacing branches, dark green leaves on top, pale underneath, quite thick
• Translucent berries initially pale but turn translucent blue.
• Good food for lizards, insects
  • Some coprosmas have red berries that attract birds but the blue are strictly for lizards and hang underneath the branch

Kōtukutuku - Tree fuchsia

• Deciduous
• Largest fuchsia in world
• Flowers start green then turn burgundy red when nectar finished
• Pollen is bright blue only on hermaphrodite trees
• Female trees can only be pollinated by birds
• Example of mutualism, birds need nectar, trees need pollination
• Used as lipstick by Maori
• Berry named kōnini; it was also eaten by European settlers in jams and puddings
  • Dye used as ink

Kapuka - Broadleaf

• Kapuka (as in Kapuka-tau-mahaka/ Mt Cargill)
• Timber dense used for fenceposts (can be seen on the track by the big pokaka), house piles and boat building
• Bitter berries, loved by birds
• Inner bark used for TB and STDs
• Life span of at least 100 years

Koromiko - Hebe salicifolia

• Large bushy evergreen shrub with spear shaped leaves with white or pale lilac flower spikes
• Vapour and poultice for headaches, diarrhoea, kidney infections and bladder disorders

Kanuka - Kunzea ericoides

• Up to 15m high
• Leaves small pointed aromatic
• Flowers small white.
• Successional species. Forms dense scrub then will diversify to a mixed forest.
• Provide habitat for a wide variety of other plants and animals such as orchids.

Mahoe - Whiteywood

• Grows to 10m.
• White splotchy bark. Violet blue berry eaten by many birds.
• Dioecious
• Insect pollinated.
• Used to create fire by friction.
• Kaka love to chisel off the bark to get at the sap

Horopito - Pepper Tree

• Pseudowintera colorata
• Chewed for toothache
• Cafe dries and uses leaves for seasoning
• One of the earliest flowering trees to evolve and is endemic at the genus level

Harakeke - Flax

• Phormium tenax
• Used for burns, cuts, constipation, splints
• Gum from base of the leaves for cuts and sores.
• Roots scraped, cleaned, boiled and consumed for constipation
• Clothing, shelter, hunting
• Baskets and ropes

Totara - Hall's

• Podocarpus hallii
• Can live up to 600 years
• Maori used for shelters
• Most common totara here with a couple of Podocarpus totara lower in the valley

Harakeke - Flax

• Harakeke Programme

Houi/Lacebark

• Bark - mats/kākahu, baskets/kete, poi balls, belts/tātua and piupiu
• Wood - fishing rod

• Kiekie

• Kowhai
• Kuta
• Maire

Mānuka/Kanuka- Teatree

• Neinei
• Patiti
• Pikao
• Pirita
• Poroporo
• Rata
• Raupo
• Rimu
• Taramea
• Tarata
• Ti Kouka
• Tikumu
• Toatoa
• Toetoe
• Toi
• Totara
• Tutu
• Wiwi

Aruhe - Pikopiko

• Māori used the rhizomes of P. esculentum (aruhe) as a staple food, especially for exploring or hunting groups away from permanent settlements
  • Widespread distribution consequence of prehistoric deforestation and subsequent tending of aruhe stands on rich soils
• Rhizomes were air-dried so that they could be stored and became lighter; for consumption,
  • Briefly heated and then softened with a patu aruhe (rhizome pounder)
    • The starch could then be sucked from the fibres by each diner, or collected if it were to be prepared for a larger feast.
• Patu aruhe were significant items and several distinct styles were developed.