Polynesian Plant Names in New Zealand

It is interesting to note that many of the Maori names of trees, shrubs and small plants were apparently introduced from over-seas lands, brought hither by sea-rovers of past centuries from eastern Polynesia, principally from the Cook and Society groups. Our far-flung plant-names are also, in some cases, encountered in distant Micronesia and Indonesia. In Vol. 7 of the Journal of the Polynesian Society appear about twenty-five of our plant-names known to and used by the natives of Rarotonga. The following are some of our local plant-names that are still in use in the isles of Polynesia, and, in some cases, in more distant regions of Oceania. Certain wellknown letter-changes in the different dialects are too familiar to us to cause any doubt or difficulty. In a few cases the incoming Maori has here applied an old island-home name to a plant of the same genus, in others he has merely seen some resemblance to a well-known species in northern isles.

Maori Names

• Aka—Vine of any climbing plant, also long thin roots. A liana at Futuna. Aka, a'a, akaaka and raka denote roots in many Polynesian dialects. Aka, a creeping plant at Niue.
• Aute—(Broussonetia papyrifera). Appears as ante, ute, eute and waoke n Polynesia.page 24
• Horoeka—( Pseudopanax crassifolium). Tahitian owe'a, a tree.
• Hue—Gourd-plant (Lagenaria). Hue, fue in Polynesia, also at Nukuoro I.
• Hutu—(Nothofagus fusca). A tree-name at Tahiti, Mangareva, etc.
• Kahia (Passiflora tetrandra). A climbing plant. 'Ahia, a plant name at Tubuai.
• Kahika—(Podocarpus dacrydioides). Kafika is a tree-name at Niue; kehika, a tree at Mangareva.
• Kahikatea (same as kahika)—Kaikatea is a tree-name at Rarotonga.
• Kaho—Kakaho (Culm of Arundo conspicua, a reed grass). Kaho, a reed at Niue.
• Kapu—Ti kapu=Cordyline Banksii and C. indivisa. Kapu, a species of ti (Cordyline) at Mangareva.
• Karaka—(Corynocarpus laevigata). Karaka, a tree-name at Mangaia. Kalaka, a tree at Niue. See Polynesian Journal, vol. 34, p. 98.
• Karetu—(Hierochloe redolens). A grass. 'Aretu, a species of grass at Tubuai.
• Kawa (Macropiper excelsum). Appears as awa, ava, kava and kavakava in Polynesia and Nukuoro I., where it denotes an allied species.
• Kawakawa (Macropiper excelsum). Appears as awa, ava, kava and kavakava in Polynesia and Nukuoro I., where it denotes an allied species.
• Kiekie—(Freycinetia Banksii) a climbing plant. A liana at Futuna and another at Rarotonga are so named. At Samoa the He is a species of Freycinetia; at Tahiti HeHe are fibrous roots; at Hawaii He is a vine.
• Kohe Kohekohe Koheriki—Dysoxylum spectabile). At Tahiti 'ohe 'ohe is a tree-name, while kohe, ohe and ofe denote the bamboo at many isles. Meticope ternata, also Bidens pilosa and Angelica rosaefolia). Koeriki, a tree-name at Mangareva.
• Konini—(Fuchsia excorticata, applied to fruit only in most places). Konini, a tree-name at Mangareva. Cf. Tahitian 'onini, Marquesan konini.
• Kowhai—(Sophora spp. and Clianthus puniceus). 'Ohai, a flowering shrub at Hawaii. A plant-name at several isles. 'Ofai, a plant at Tubuai. Koai, a tree at Mangareva.
• Kumara—(Ipomoea batatas). This and other names of economic plants, aute, hue, taro, uhi are widespread athwart the Pacific. See Kuru, Ni.
• Kuru—The breadfruit. This name has been preserved in Maori tradition. Kuru and uru in Polynesia.
• Maire—(Olea spp. Fusanus Cunninghamii. Eugenia maire). A tree-name at Mangaia; maile, a shrub-name at Tonga; maire, a fern-name at Rarotonga and Nukuoro; maile, a shrub at Niue; meire, a tree at Mangareva; maile, a vine at Hawaii.
• Makomako (Aristotelia racemosa). Makomako, a Solanum at Mar-Makomako quesas, a shrub at Marquesas. Ma'o, several trees at Samoa so named, another at Tahiti, also a shrub at Hawaii.
• Mako (Aristotelia racemosa). Makomako, a Solanum at Mar-Makomako quesas, a shrub at Marquesas. Ma'o, several trees at Samoa so named, another at Tahiti, also a shrub at Hawaii.
• Mamaku—(Cyathea medullaris). Mamtiu, a tree-fern so named at Tahiti. Mamaku, the silk cotton tree of Mangaia.
• Manapau—A tree-name preserved in Maori tradition. A tree-name at Samoa and Niue.
• Manono—(Coprosma grandifolia). Tahitian manono, a tree.
• Manuka—(Leptospermum spp.). A tree-name at Nukuoro.page 25
• Maota—A tree-name preserved in Maori tradition. A tree-name at Samoa, also at Niue.
• Matiatia (Festuca littoralis, and a seaside plant). Matia is a grass Made at Nukuoro. Matie, a grass at Tahiti. Cf. Hawaiian makia; Niue, motie=grass. Matie, a grass at Tubuai.
• Matie (Festuca littoralis, and a seaside plant). Matia is a grass Made at Nukuoro. Matie, a grass at Tahiti. Cf. Hawaiian makia; Niue, motie=grass. Matie, a grass at Tubuai.
• Mawe—(Galium umbrosum). Mave, a plant-name at Tubuai.
• Mawhai—(Sicyos angulatus and Cassytha paniculata). A creeping plant at Futuna.
• Miro—(Podocarpus ferrugineus). A tree-name in Polynesia, milo at Samoa and Hawaii, mio at Marquesas, miro at Tahiti and Mangareva. See toromiro.
• Mouku (Asplenium bulbiferum). A fern-name at Mangareva. Mohuku, Mauku a fern-name at Niue.
• Naupata—(Coprosma Baueri). A tree-name at Tahiti; a plant-name at Mangareva.
• Neinei—(Dracophyllum latifolium, etc.). A tree-name at Rarotonga and Mangaia. A sp. of banana at Tahiti.
• Ngaio—(Myoporum laetum). A tree-name at Rarotonga and Mangaia. Naio, a tree at Hawaii.
• Ni—A name of the coconut preserved in Maori tradition, a western Pacific form.
• Nikau—(Rhopalostylis sapida). The coconut-palm so called at Mangareva. At Tahiti ni'ua is the leaf of the coconut-palm, and at Hawaii the stem of the leaf.
• Niu—A far spread name for the coconut preserved by the Maori, who has, however, forgotten its original meaning.
• Paretao—(Asplenium spp.). A fern called palatao at Niue closely resembles it.
• Pirita—(Rhipogonum scandens). Pilita, a creeper at Niue; pirita, aerial roots of 'ie'ie (=kiekie) at Tahiti.
• Pohue—(Calystegia sepium). A creeping plant at Mangareva so named, also a species of convolvulus at Tahiti. A plant-name at Tubuai.
• Pohutukawa—(Metrosideros tomentosa). A tree-name at Rarotonga.
• Ponga—(Cyathea dealbata). Name of a tree-fern at Rarotonga. Paonga is a tree-fern at Samoa (Alsophila lunulata).
• Poporo (Solarium aviculare). A Rarotongan Solarium is called Poroporo poroporo; a species of the same genus at Niue is poro.
• Poroporo (Solarium aviculare). A Rarotongan Solarium is called Poroporo poroporo; a species of the same genus at Niue is poro.
• Pua—A tree mentioned in Maori songs. A tree-name at Rarotonga, Tahiti, and Niue, etc.
• Puka—(Meryta Sinclairii and Griselinia lucida). A Niue tree having large leaves. Pu'a, a tree at Samoa.
• Pukapuka—(Brachyglottis repanda). A tree at Rarotonga.
• Pukatea—(Laurelia novae zelandiae, with radiating buttresses at base). A tree with buttressed base at Rarotonga; a tree at Niue; a tree at Mangaia.
• Rātā—(Metrosideros robusta) A tree-name at Rarotonga; a tree at Tahiti.
• Rewarewa—(Knightia excelsa, the flower is termed rewa). Reva, a tree at Tahiti; a Barringtonia, a tree-name at Mangareva.page 26
• Rimu General names for moss, also for seaweed. Rimu=moss at Tahiti and Mangareva, for moss and seaweed in Paumotu; limu for moss at Niue, for seaweeds at Hawaii and Tonga; imu for sea-moss at Marquesas.
• Rimurimu General names for moss, also for seaweed. Rimu=moss at Tahiti and Mangareva, for moss and seaweed in Paumotu; limu for moss at Niue, for seaweeds at Hawaii and Tonga; imu for sea-moss at Marquesas.
• Taramoa (Rubus australis). Tataramoa, a prickly shrub at Tahiti; a plant at Tubuai; talamoa, a prickly creeper at Niue.
• Tataramoa (Rubus australis). Tataramoa, a prickly shrub at Tahiti; a plant at Tubuai; talamoa, a prickly creeper at Niue.
• Tauhinu ( Pomaderris phylicaefolia). A shrub at Rarotonga. Tai'inu, a plant at Mangaia.
• Taihinu ( Pomaderris phylicaefolia). A shrub at Rarotonga. Tai'inu, a plant at Mangaia.
• Tawa—(Beilschmiedia tawa). Tawa and tava are tree-names at Futuna, Tonga, Samoa, and Niue. At Fiji dawa is a tree having a plum-like fruit.
• Tawai—(Nothofagus spp). Tavai, a tree at Samoa. Tavahi, a tree at Niue.
• Tawhiwhi—(Parsonsia heterophylla. 2. Pittosporum tenuifolium). Tafifi, a running plant at Tahiti; tefifi, a species of convolvulus at Niue.
• Ti—A generic name for Cordyline in New Zealand, Polynesia, and at Nukuoro. Toi, a N.Z. species (C. indivisa). Toi is a tree-name at Futuna and Niue.
• Toromiro—(Podocarpus ferrugineus). Also a tree-name at Rarotonga, Easter I., and Tahiti.
• Tutu—(Coriaria ruscifolia). A tree-name at Tahiti.
• Tūtunāwai—(Polygonum serrulatum). Tutuna, a marsh grass at Tubuai.
• Wharawhara—(Astelia Banksii). Far a, fala, hala, ara, the Pandanus in Polynesia and Nukuoro.
• Whau—(Entelea arborescens and Nothopanax arboreum). Fau, hau, auy the Hibiscus in Polynesia and Nukuoro.
• Wheki—(Wicksonia squarrosa, a tree-fern). Wheki, a tree-fern at Rarotonga.

The above list contains a number of the plant-names of New Zealand that have apparently been brought hither from northern isles; doubtless there are others not included here. The names of New Zealand plants are first given, after which appear identical or similar names employed in other lands. In a great number of cases the botanical name is not given in island vocabularies. We also meet with plant-names in Polynesia that show a change of consonant strange to southern eyes, such as the Tahitian anuhe (the common fern, or bracken), the rau-aruhe and rarauhe of New Zealand, the rhizome of which is called aruhe. At Nukuoro I. or Monteverde, south of the far-off Caroline Group, where a dialect of the Maori tongue is spoken, ruhe is the name of a large fern.