Best. — Maori Forest Lore. 233 



The general term for the bark of trees in this district is kiri, 

 which is also used to denote skin ; hence, when bark is meant, 

 the phrase kiri rakau (tree-skin, or bark) is employed. Other 

 words for bark in various districts are peha, hiako, tapeha, and 

 tangai. Tuhoe use the word torokiri for bark or the outside of 

 a tree. They employ this word to denote outside slabs from 

 a sawpit or mill, which are of sap-wood with bark on. 



The term iho is used for the middle of a tree, the centre of 

 the heart-wood. Taikura is the reddish heart-wood between 

 the iho and the sap. Taitea is the sap-wood. The first term 

 ■(iho) is used to denote the very heart, or kernel, o c anything, 

 even of a speech. Taikura implies a red or reddish-brown 

 colour, as seen in the heart-wood of many trees. Taitea denotes 

 whiteness, as of sap-wood, &c. 



An old proverbial expression says, " Ttuia taitea, kia tu ko 

 taikaka anake " (Reject the sap-wood and leave only the heart- 

 wood). Here the word taikaka is used for heart- wood — -perhaps 

 a northern word. Sir George Grey gives the following words 

 for the timber of the totara : Iho or uho, the heart ; next the 

 kaka, or hard part ; then the rangiura, or reddest part ; then 

 the taitea or sap, which soon decays. The above proverb 

 means, Discard the useless or worthless, retain that which is 

 valuable — a saying often quoted by the Maori. A somewhat 

 similar saying is, " He rakau tawhito, e mau ana te taitea, i waho 

 ra, e tu te kohiwi " (In an old tree the outside is sap-wood, but it 

 encloses hard, durable heart-wood). (See " Kohiwi," post.) 



The Maoris are acquainted with the movement of sap in 

 trees, hence they cut off the tops of certain species of Cordyline, 

 intended for food, before the sap rises in the spring. 



The top of a tree is termed kapuhi or matamata — i.e., the very 

 highest part, the top of the head. The head of a tree is kauru or 

 kouru. The branches are termed peka or manga, but a very 

 large main branch or division of a tree is called ruha. A dry, 

 dead branch is puanga. The word kawekaweka is employed to 

 denote extreme length in branches. The trunk of a tree is 

 termed the tinana. The base of the trunk is the take. A 

 stump is tumutumu or kotumu. Take is also applied to the 

 root. Pu and putake are applied to the base or root of any- 

 thing — of a tree, or an argument, or action — its secondary 

 meaning being " reason, cause." Roots are termed paiaka and 

 pakiaka. Small rootlets or fibres are called weu, weru, and 

 piakaaka. An old saying of these bird-snaring, tree-climbing 

 bushmen is, " He toa piki rakau, he kai na te pakiaka " (The 

 fearless tree-climber becomes food for a root. Some day he 

 will fall from a tree on to the roots thereof, and so perish). 



The term wana is usually applied to a shoot or bud, but 



