54 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



4. Ti ngahere. 



5. Ti para. 



The ti taxohiti does not appear to have been known here, 

 unless it is identical with the ti para, above. 



All of the above species provided food for the Maori. 

 The young leaves were sometimes eaten. The roots of the 

 above varieties of Gordyline, except that of the toi, were all 

 eaten. The top or head of the tree was cut off in the fourth 

 month of the Maori year — i.e., the month Mahuru, which is 

 the spring month (August-September)— in order that the sap 

 might not rise, or, as the Maori puts it, that the sap might 

 return to the tap-root. Then, when the planting season 

 (koanga) arrived the root of the tree was dug up, usually in 

 the fifth month of the Maori year, and placed in a steam-oven, 

 where it was cooked for two days. It was then taken out 

 and allowed to become cold before being eaten, the fibrous 

 matter being, of course, rejected. It is said to be remarkably 

 sweet. Hence, doubtless, the reason why it was prized by 

 the natives, whose saying for the food, " He kouka ki te 

 aivatea, he ai ki te vo," shows the estimation in which it was 

 held. 



The ti para was the most highly prized of the Gordyline, 

 as it furnished the best food material, and both trunk and tap- 

 root (more) were cooked and eaten. The trunk was about 2 ft. 

 to 3 ft. in height in this district. This variety was cultivated 

 for food, and does not appear to have grown wild here. It is 

 now extinct in the district. This variety is said to have been 

 eaten by the chiefs only. 



The head (kouru) of the toi was cooked in a steam-oven 

 and eaten — i.e., the top of the trunk, which is the soft part, 

 the young unexpanded leaves of the tree. This section of the 

 trunk was split into two or more pieces before being placed in 

 the oven. 



Tradition states that one Eoau brought seeds or plants of 

 the ti, taro, and karaka (a tree, Gorynocarpxis laevigata) to 

 New Zealand in the " Nukutere " vessel. The two former are 

 known in this district as Te huri a Boau (the seed of Eoau). 

 The ti brought by him is said to have been planted at Pokere- 

 kere, and its name was Whakaruru-ma-tangi. The " Nuku- 

 tere " canoe made the land at Waiaua, near Opotiki. 



Eaupo (Typha angustifolia, Bulrush). 



The soft, mealy roots of this swamp plant were eaten, the 

 larger ones being selected for food. These roots are termed 

 karito. The outer part was peeled off, leaving the soft in- 

 terior, the iho, which was eaten both raw and cooked in a 

 steam -oven (hapi). 



A peculiar kind of food was made from the pollen (tahuna 



