CHAPTER VII. 
Kauri and Harakeke. 
The New Zealand Pine and the New Zealand flax plant. 
Kauri, Dammam australis, the Queen of the New Zealand forest. — Limits of its 
range. — Devastation of the woods. — Physiognomy of Kauri forests. — Wood-cutter colo- 
nies. — Saw-mills. — Kauri gum. — Quantity and value of the annual export. — 
The New Zealand flax plant, Phormium tenax. — Its various uses. — Its varieties. — 
Production of flax. — Other fibrous plants. Appendix. List of esculent plants. — Table 
of timber trees. 
“Flora and Pomona have dealt most niggardly with New Zea- 
land. There is no indigenous flower equal to England’s dog rose; 
no indigenous fruit equal to Scotland’s cranberry.” 1 On the other 
hand , the vegetable world of New Zealand is as harmless as its 
animal world; there are no poisonous plants with the solitary ex- 
ception of the Toot-plant , 2 and a great variety of very useful 
plants. In this respect the two most important and at the same 
1 Hursthouse, New Zealand 1857. Vol. 1. p. 136. A list of the esculent plants 
is given in the Appendix. 
2 The Toot-plant, Tutu or Tupakihi of the Maoris (Coriaria sarmcnlosa Forst. 
== C . nisei folia L.), is a small bush, one of the most common and widely distri- 
buted shrubs of the islands. It produces a sort of “hoven” or narcotic effect on 
sheep or cattle, when too greedily eaten. It bears a fruit, which is produced in 
clusters, not unlike a bunch of currants, with the seed external, of a purple colour. 
The poisonous portion of the plant to man are the seeds and seed stalks, while their 
dark purple pulp is utterly innoxious and edible. The natives express from the ber- 
ries an agreeable violet juice (carefully avoiding the seed), called native wine. — 
When boiled with Rimu, a seaweed, forms a jelly which is very palatable. The 
Toot poison belongs to the class of narcotic irritants. 
