KAMAHI
Weinmannia racemosa [Family: Cunoniaceae]Kamahi grows to around 25 metres. Its leaves are 3 - 10 cm long with large teeth. The flowers are creamy white, fluffy, in fingerlike clusters, and appear in late spring/early summer. It frequently commences as an epiphyte on tree ferns. Kamahi is known as a pyrophytic tree (often dominant after a fire - ‘ka’ meaning burn and ‘mahi’ meaning abundance). Kamahi can be found throughout New Zealand.
Kamahi mostly occurs with other broadleaf forest trees but sometimes grows in pure limited colonies. It can also act as a pioneer shrub through which the podocarps or southern beeches grow.
Maori would use the bark to make a black dye to colour flax and cabbage tree leaves. In Maori medicine, the inner bark was steeped in hot water and the liquid drunk as a laxative. The bark itself was infused as a tonic, having astringent tannins and catechin. Chemical analysis of the leaves has identified anti viral properties against influenza type A. The timber was used for many below-ground uses - piles, fence posts, sleepers. Its figured wood is also used by wood turners.
RIMU
Dacrydium cupressinum [Family: Podocarpaceae]Timber from rimu is hard and dense. The tree can grow to around 35 metres. The small branches have a distinctive pendulous character. Those on young trees being particularly graceful in appearance - the leaves are small and awl shaped. The European name for rimu is red pine.
Rimu can be found throughout the North, South, and Stewart Islands from lowland to montane forest. In most places the large, rounded heads of a few to a dozen or so trees per acre can be seen well above the canopy of broadleaf trees below. These forests have little or no regeneration and rarely contain any trees in the intermediate stages. Large trees can be anything up from 700 to 1,000 years old.
Maori would split the resinous heartwood into shreds then tie it in bundles to burn as a torch. The juicy red cup that holds the seed would be eaten and the inner bark was pulped to apply to burns. The leaves were used on sores and the bitter gum used to stem bleeding.
As it has excellent heat-resistant qualities, it is suitable for mantle pieces and place mats.
Because of its decorative virtues, and being free of taint, it can be used for almost any interior finishing applications and kitchenware and was traditionally used in butter boxes.
HINAU
Elaeocarpus dentatus [Family: Elaeocarpaceae]South of Auckland, this tree was originally known as whinau.
Hinau grows to around 15 metres and has drooping, bell-shaped, white fragrant flowers. The leaves are 6 - 10 cm long, whitish underneath with small bumps along the top surface.
The black pigment used in Maori tattooing was made from an exudation taken from the tree. To colour flax, a black dye was made by combining the bark with a black mud mordant.
Maori would make cakes (poha or powha) by crushing and pounding the berries, then straining (discarding the large stones which were very hard and inedible) to get the soft, thin flesh. These were greatly valued as food, but rarely eaten nowadays. These cakes were cooked hangi-style and offered as a welcome to honoured guests - ‘whi-nau’ means can come.
Hinau was traditionally used by Maori for small implements such as canoe bailers, spears and palisades. High grade Hinau was used in boat building. The timber was also used for bridges, motor bodies and house building. In recent times, it has been used for Antarctic sled runners.
Black heart hinau is considered durable (lasting 15 - 25 years in the ground). The
timber is very slow-burning, even when dry.
RED BEECH
Nothofagus fusca [Family: Nothofagaceae]Red beech grows to around 30 metres and its leaves are 2.5 - 4 cm long with large sharp teeth unlike other beech. They are bright red on young trees in winter. It sheds its leaves every year.
Red beech is the dominant tree in most South Island forests.
Honeydew can be found on the trunks of the red beech and is an important winter bee food. Honey from this source is harvested for export.
Uses for red beech are: house building, railway sleepers, mine props, wharves and bridges. Whenproperlydried,sawntimberwasusedforboatbuildingandfurniture.
Red beech is stable and hard wearing, making it suitable for flooring and interior joinery.
After several months of exposure to natural light, the timber will darken and become richer. Red beech remains lively and has a natural sheen and lustre that improves with age.
SILVER BEECH
Nothofagus menziesii [Family: Nothofagaceae]Silver beech grow to around 30 metres. Its leaves are 8 - 12 mm long and roundish (unlike other beech), with rounded double teeth.
Silver Beech has a very attractive grain and colouring and around the turn of the 19th century, was in steady demand for indoor use making ‘French bedsteads’ and sideboards. Today, it is still a very popular wood turning timber.
Silver beech was used for motor body building and performs well where strength,
combined with appearance is required.
The timber of is very easily turned and shaped, and is an excellent carving wood. It has no silica content so will not blunt cutting knives.
When growing as a tree, the Platypus (wood boring) beetle can cause pinhole borer holes. However, after processing, the tree is no longer susceptible to infestation by this beetle. The resulting wood can be used as a feature grade in ‘antique’ furniture, flooring and picture frames, and is most suitable for villa restoration where new, freshly sawn timbers with little defects might adversely stand out.
MIRO
Prumnopitys ferruginea [Family: Podocarpaceae]Miro grows to around 25 metres. Its leaves are over 1.5 cm long and arranged in 2 rows (unlike totara). They are curved, pale green below, with a strong smell when crushed. Its fruit is oval shaped and 2 cm long and coloured pinkish-purple (on female trees only).
It is also known as Totomiro on the East Cape. Both names link this tree with carving woods of the tropical Pacific. Miro means ‘to twist’. The bark of the tropical miro (Pacific rosewood) was stripped and twisted or plied as a rope-like fibre. Folded sheets of the bark were used as water containers.
The Maori would place the fruit of the New Zealand miro in a tourniquet-style bag and then twist it to squeeze out an aromatic oil to use as a body perfume, insecticide or it could be taken internally to reduce fevers. Eaten raw, the ripe fruit tastes sweet, but with a strong piney taste and smell. Maori relished the flavour these fruits gave feeding wood pigeon (kereru).
Miro timber has traditionally been used for house building purposes. It was used by early European settlers as load-bearing beams. It is still used in small quantities for furniture, turning and carving. Miro is similar in colour and grain to rimu, but is slightly stronger.
TOTARA
Podocarpus totara [Familly: Podocarpaceae]Known as a chiefly tree by the Maori.
Totara grows to around 30 metres. The leaves grow up to 2.5 cm and are stiff and prickly to touch. The fruit is a green seed on a juicy red base (on female trees only).
Maori would hollow out a single log to make huge sea-going war canoes (waka) capable of carrying 100 warriors. The waka could travel great distances. The Maori would hand fell the huge logs, then hollow them by repeated burning. Then hewn to shape with adzes, and the stem and stern posts carved. They viewed totara as the most important of the native forest trees. They also used the timber for building, carving, constructing and fortifying pa. Sheets of inner bark were used as roofing, also folded as water containers, or used as splints to support fractured bones.
Totara wood is light in weight and easy to carve, cutting smoothly across the grain.
Totara sapwood is resistant to insect attack, including marine borers, and both sapwood and heartwood are suitable for marine environments.
The timber when produced in fiddleback and burr can also make an attractive carved platter or bowl.
Totara can live to be very old and reach huge dimensions. Commonly up to 30 metres in height, some reaching 40 metres. Larger Totara are frequently hollow and may be 800 or more years old. Totara is extremely durable, usually pinkish in colour.
RATA
Northern Rata Metrosideros robusta [Family: Myrtaceae] Southern Rata Metrosideros umbellata [Family: Myrtaceae]Known as a chiefly tree by the Maori.
Northern rata often begins as an epiphyte or plant high in the forks of other trees, sending roots down to the ground, enclosing the dead or dying host. Grows to around 25 metres with a huge girth. It can be found throughout the North Island and in the South Island, south to around Westport.
Southern Rata is a medium-sized tree, starting as a seed in the ground. Grows to around 15 metres and more suited to colder climates. It can be found from sea level to about 760 metres and distributed from Whangarei south to Stewart Island. Although it is rare in the North Island.
Maori used the timber for traditional flutes, paddles, mauls and weapons. Later, because of its hardness, strength and durability, it was suitable for machine bearings, bridge building, shipbuilding, cartwheels, carving-chisel handles and wood turning. An infusion of inner bark was used as a remedy for diarrhoea, as it contains ellagic acid which is an astringent against diarrhoea and dysentery. The outer bark also has medicinal uses. The flowers contain gallic acid (antiseptic) and the Maori used the nectar for sore throats, as well as for food.
Depending on location, from November to January, the ratas brilliant red flowers appear in profusion. They tend only to flower every couple of years and seem to prefer areas with high rainfall such as the West Coast.