NATURE NOTES

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 29, 30 July 1952, Page 5

NATURE NOTES

"THE FOOT OF GOD

(By

H.

H.)

We are still in the silent enchanted bush-glens of Opepe this time in search of that elusive little plant the Wai wai te atua of the Maori — technicaliy know as the Bagnesia Hillii. It is a delightful beautiful little rose pinfc plant like a small orehid. And there one may hope to find it ensconced amidst decaying moss and leaves some inches below the surface of the soil, living the life of a recluse and living on dead vegetable matter, hence called a saprophyte, as distinct from the true parasite which lives on live vegetable matter. The old-time Maori was a true naturalist, and gave the plant an excellent and appropriate name "the foot of God" or "Wai wai te Atua," for the plant in only found in dense bush beneath the rimu or totara. It *is a rare little plant the only genus of its kind found in either New Zealand or Australia, and caused quite a stir amongst botanists when first found by the late Mr Henry Hill after whom the plant was named by T. F. Cheeseman. In 1923, since when no further specimens have been found or seen many famous botanists of that day spent some days at Taupo making Opepe their Mecca. With Henry Hill there were Agustus Hamilton, Donald Petrie, and T. F. Cheeseman, who spent many hours in the silent bush in search of the plant without avail. Strange to add no further specimens have been found. When it was first discovered only a few specimens were collected. One was sent to the British Museum another to Mr Lancaster the then Botanist to the Auckland University, and third I retained and still have in the bottle after nearly 30 years since its discovery. The colour has naturally changed after the long immersion in alcohol — from a delicate pink to a pale yellow. The plant was again found by Henry Hill some ten years after its discovery when he telegraphed me at Napier to come to Opepe. This I did the following day. On reaching the roadman's whare I learnt that a Maori of the party had unwittingly thrown the specimens onto the fire. What consternation reigned for an hour! It is so strange to me that a plant so rare and unknown to botanists and scientists, should be known to the Maori as in this instance. When the olant was first shown to Tamati te Kurapa he glanced at it for a few minutes and then exclaimed "Ah te Wae wae te atua!" As though he v>as aware of the plant from early lays. How in the name of scienc he knew the plant is beyond me, and will remain beyond me whilst life lasts. However with very careCul searching, the small flowers are to be found some few inches below the surface, amidst dying moss and dead leaves with hosts of tendril like rootlets attached. And now — following a further hour on a future occasion when I shall describe a strange creature of the animal kingdom, in this delightful bush, where one is brought so near to Nature and God's great vorld—I shall bid farewell to Opepe, leave the silent graves in peace, 4,nd. recali the delightful hours we lave spent amidst its charm in .earching for the vegetable caterpilar, dactylanthus and last but not east the Bagnesai. 4