Best. — Maori Forest Lore. 227 



contained in the leaves is exceedingly strong, and such leaves 

 have a peculiar elasticity when subjected to a strain lengthwise. 

 This species is sometimes termed the " mountain-palm," and 

 is a very handsome object as seen growing on the high ranges, 

 the leaves being 7 in. and 8 in. in width. The midrib (tuaka) 

 of these leaves is of a red colour, and was used in making waist- 

 belts, while from the coarse fibre rough rain-capes are made. 

 These capes are very much more durable than those made of 

 flax (Phormium), and were almost the only clothing used by the 

 Tuhoe Tribe in former tribes. 



The ti-para I believe to be C. terminalis. But very few 

 plants now exist in the district, nor does it appear that it ever 

 grew here in a wild state, but only as a cultivated plant. It 

 was formerly grown by the Natives because it was much esteemed 

 as an article of food, the whole plant being edible. The outside 

 of this species was not removed when placed in the steam-oven. 

 It was the best-eating of all the species of Cordyline here known. 

 When the stem of this species has attained a height of about 

 3 ft. or 4 ft. the Natives bend it down until the upper part 

 touches the ground, and cover that part with earth. It takes 

 root where it is so covered, and then the bent trunk between 

 the two roots is cut out, cooked, and eaten. When the young 

 plant grows up it is treated in a similar manner. A small sucker 

 planted in my camp garden two years ago is now 2 ft. in height, 

 and has about a hundred leaves, which are 1J in. wide in the 

 middle. This species seems to be known as ti-pore among some 

 tribes, while Williams gives mahonge as the name of a variety 

 of ti-para. The following old saying was given by a member 

 of the Atiawa Tribe : " E kore e riro, he ti tamore no Rarotonga " 

 (A chief possessing courage, energy, &c, was said to be able to 

 withstand a gale like the branchless Cordyline of Rarotonga. 

 Enemies would not conquer him, any more than the wind could 

 overthrow a branchless ti). In his collection of Maori proverbs 

 Sir George Grey gives " Ehara i te ti e wana ake " (When man 

 dies he dies completely; no suckers or shoots spring from his. 

 decaying body, as they do from the stump of a ti). 



The ti-kumu, a plant found only on the summit of Maunga- 

 pohatu in this district, appears to be similar to the " leather- 

 plant " of the south — a Celmisia. It is mentioned in, I think, 

 Dieffenbach's " New Zealand " as being found on Mount Egmont. 

 He gives it the same name as that used by Tuhoe ; while in 

 Parkinson's Journal it appears as teegcomme — evidently as near 

 as an Englander could get to it. Some tribes seem to have 

 utilised the ti-kumu leaf in the making of rude capes, &c* 



* Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxix, p. 175; also vol. i, p. 15, of Essay No. 1. 



