NATURE NOTES

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 24, 25 June 1952, Page 3

NATURE NOTES

"'THE FLOWER OF HADES,?

(By

H.

H.)

We are still in the enchanted glems of the Opepe Bush in search of further natural wonders of the flora of New Zealand, for I would stress the point that the few miles of the Qpepe Bush are equal in parasitic wonders to any other Bush in New Zealand or Australasia. Let us pass along those deep glens, more like "dongas" of Africa, in search of the wood-flowers referr.ed to lately in the press of New Zealand and scientifically known as the Dactylanthus Taylorii, first found in the Upper waters of the Wangaehu River by the Rev. Richard Taylor as long ago as in 1845. It is a wonderful f lower, slightly tin ged with purple carrying both stamens and pistil and the only one of its kind in New Zealand. One can trace it more or less by the daphnelike perfume. in its early stages of growth usually about Easter time but when it is dead or dyirig it has a distressing smell. Now to collect a specimen the procedure is much the same as for the vegetable caterpillar. Ag^in hands are better than tools. Look for something resembling' brown asparagus tips, carefully move aside some of the soil to trace the root on which the parasite is growing and then with & sharp spade take up quite a large piece of the root. When boijed for several hours the actylanthus comes away and the wood flower is found , . small or large according to the size of the root. If c'austic soda is added to the water ' when ' boiling the wood flowers will be coloured green. When one comes across the plant, a protuberance on the earth more like a huge ' wart i£ §een ghoWing on the roots of ; HiroCka, Papauma, Tanakaha, Tawhiri or Wineberry. In fact, as a general statement, it can be saie} that Dactylanthus Taylorii can be found under the same kinds of plants as is the Vegetable Caterpillar or if you will reihember Cordyceps robertsii. - ^ i A Mr Henry Hill a well known botanist and naturalist of Napier and who was intimately associated with Taupo from the early days wrote an excellent monpgraph on the Dactylanthus which was highly spoken of. The pictures given were taken from the plant in situ and many photographic slides were taken. These slides are in my possession at Taupo. These plants are to be found in various parts >of New Zealand particularly near the East Cape, Taupo cven at Mount Tauhara, and acres of thern in the King Country at Pukemako, where I made a careful study of the parasite. The bushmen in the early days used to collect them for me. I then suggested they collect specimens and clean the wart-like protuberances and place the flowers on a piece of native wood e.g. the honey-suckle (Knightia excelsa) and sell them in Auckland. This they did and they used to get quite a large sum for each specimen thus mounted. Some of the specimens colleeted by me at Pukemako and in my possession measured 4 inches across the woodflowers. February and March but no later than Easter-tiihe were the most favourable months to collect specimens and during 1923 many famous botanists made Taupo their Mecca to make investigations of the parasites common to the Opepe bush and some not known elsewhere. The Maori name of the Dactylanthus is PUA TE REINGA (the flower of Hades) but I am aware it has often been called WAEWAETE ATUA (the feet of God). I am fully convinced, however, that this name should be properly applied to the Bagnesia Hillii (another rare parasitic) and which I shall deal with in a later paper to the "Times." I should very much like to discuss this plant from a scientific stand-point — but then the interest might fade.