#taranaki ringplain

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#2407 - Piper excelsum - Kawakawa 

AKA Macropiper excelsum. The name kawakawa comes from the Māori kawa meaning bitter, and while it certainly is, probably refers to the related Kava (Piper methysticum) which can't grow in New Zealand's cooler climate but is widely used in the Pacific Islands to produce a ritual drink with medicinal, anesthetic, euphoriant, and entheogenic properties. The Māori word kawa also means "ceremonial protocol"

A small tree endemic to New Zealand; the subspecies P. e. subsp. psittacorum is found on Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island and the Kermadec Islands.

Kawakawa was used as a medicinal plant by the Māori. An infusion made from leaves or roots or chewed leaves were used to relieve toothache, and wounds were often bound in kawakawa leaves. The edible yellow berries were eaten as a diuretic. Traditionally, leaves with holes chewed by caterpillars of the kawakawa looper moth (Cleora scriptaria) were considered the best to use - not implausible, if the plant increases production of bioactive molecules in response to insect attack.

In cultural contexts, host people of a marae wave leaves of kawakawa to welcome guests. At a tangi, both hosts and guests may wear wreaths of kawakawa on the head as a sign of mourning.

Early European settlers to New Zealand used kawakawa in teas, and experimented using it as a flavouring agent in beer. Since the contains the deliriant myristicin, this was probably a memorably bad idea.

New Plymouth, Taranaki Ringplain, New Zealand

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#2411 - Coprosma robusta - Karamu 

Bonus Tetragnatha spider I only just noticed.

Originally described as Pelaphia lata.

Endemic to New Zealand coastal and lowland areas, but an increasingly serious weed in Victoria and Tasmania. The fruit is spread by birds and the plant grows readily from seed in infertile soils, and in poorly drained and exposed lands. It can also grow in a large range of altitude varying from sea level to 1,200 meters, under full sun to shady, windy and frostprone habitats.

Introduced mammals such as goats (Capra hircus) and deer (Cervus elaphus) have a severe impact on karamū, and hares (Lepus timidus) and rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) eat the seedlings.

The berries are edible and leaves can be brewed into a medicinal tea. The leaves are believed by Maori to have the ability to deal with kidney troubles and the bark to treat stomachache and vomiting. Karamū is rich in dyes including alizarin and purpurin. Sometimes leaves of the plant were put on stones to dye the food and preserve them after a hangi.

Lake Mangamahoe, Taranaki Ringplain, New Zealand

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#2404 - Selaginella kraussiana - Krauss's Clubmoss 

AKA Selaginella azorica, Selaginella canescens, Krauss' spikemoss, African clubmoss and 'peacock fern'.

Native to the volcanic archipelagos of the Eastern Atlantic, and parts of south and east Africa. Since its introduction to Britain in 1878 it has spread slowly, and was first recorded in the wild in 1917, but an increasingly frequent greenhouse weed. Invasive in Australia and NZ, forming dense mats in shaded areas as in the photos above.

A few species of the 750 Selaginella are desert plants that curl up in a tight, brown or reddish ball during dry times, and uncurl and turn green after rain.

Lake Mangamahoe, Taranaki Ringplain, New Zealand

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The Great ACT-NSW-NZ Trip, 2023-2024 - Taranaki Ringplain

After Pohokura we spent a couple of days on the west coast of North Island - specifically, in the vicinity of Taranaki/Mt. Egmont, a young stratovolcano that is the most recent volcano in a long sequence of slowly migrating volcanism in the area. The hills to the northwest, and the plugs at the coast at New Plymouth, are all that remain of its predecessors. In fact, the entire ring of flattish and highly fertile land in Taranaki is the result of the repeated catastrophic collapse of the volcanoes over the last 1.75 million years.

The photo below was taken from Cape Egmont 30 kilometers from the volcano. Even out here there are layers of fridge-sized boulders deposited by the giant volcanic landslides.

The plugs at New Plymouth, 1.75 myo.

Historically, the area consisted of a narrow coastal plain covered by bracken, tutu, rewarewa and karaka trees, with anywhere not close to the coast covered in dense forest.

From about 1823 the Māori began having contact with European whalers and flax traders. English settlers were first dropped here in 1841, and within a year were trying to deal with plagues of the rats they brought with them.

The stuff we saw on the volcano itself I'll cover seperately, but there was no shortage of species in New Plymouth, along the coast, at Lake Mangamahoe, and where we were staying.

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#2405 - Pectinopitys ferruginea - Miro

AKA Prumnopitys ferruginea, and originally Podocarpus ferrugineus. 'ferruginea' derives from the rusty colour of dried herbarium specimens. Miro comes from the Proto-Polynesian word milo - the Pacific rosewood (Thespesia populnea) found on tropical islands far to the north.

A podocarp endemic to New Zealand, growing in lowland terrain and on hill slopes throughout the two main islands and on Stewart Island.

It can live to about 600 years in age, and 25m in height, with a trunk up to 1.3 m diameter. Like other podocarps, the fruit is fleshy and berrylike, and spread by birds such as the New Zealand Pigeon.

Lake Mangamahoe, Taranaki Ringplain, New Zealand

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#2410 - Meryta sinclairii - Pukanui

AKA puka and Botryodendrum sinclairii. Puka first came to European attention when William Colenso found a single tree growing at the head of Whangaruru Bay. This tree was protected by a fence, and declared sacred by Māori, who told Colenso that they had brought the tree from the Poor Knights Islands. It was not until some time later that another botanist procured specimens of the leaves and fruit and it could be described and named, after Dr Andrew Sinclair, (1794–1861), Colonial Secretary and naturalist. Meryta means 'rolled up'.

A large-leaved (50 cm long and 20 cm wide) evergreen that grows to about 8 m tall, with a distinctly tropical appearance typical of the genus. It grows naturally on offshore islands, but is widely cultivated in coastal areas on the mainland. However, frost-sensitive and prone to soil borne fungal pathogens like phytophora and verticillium wilt - a potential problem because marijuana growers are increasingly using remote offshore islands to grow their crops, and their crops carry these diseases.

There are about 27 described species of Meryta, all small, resinous trees of the subtropical and tropical Pacific.

New Plymouth, Taranaki Coastline, New Zealand

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#2409 - Hypochaeris radicata - Cat's-Ears 

Another FYC. Sometimes spelled Hypochoeris radicata – flatweed, or false dandelion. Its name is derived from Greek ὑπό 'under' and χοῖρος 'young pig'. Thus the name "should" be spelled Hypochoeris. The adjective radicata means 'with conspicuous roots' in Latin.

A perennial, low-lying edible herb native to Europe, but an invasive weed in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and the Americas. A noxious weed in Washington state.

Commonly mistaken for true dandelions, as both plants have similar flowers and windborne seeds. However, catsear stems are forked and solid, whereas dandelions are unforked and hollow. The leaves of dandelions are jagged in outline, but those of catsear are more lobe-shaped and hairy. The leaves may grow up to 20 cm long, forming a low-lying rosette around a central taproot. All parts of the plant exude a milky sap when cut.

All parts of the plant are edible. The younger leaves are bland in taste but can be eaten raw in salads, steamed, or used in stir-fries. In Crete the leaves of a variety called παχιές (pachiés) or αγριοράδικα (agriorádika) are eaten boiled or steamed. The root can be roasted and ground to form a coffee substitute.

However, the plant suspected of causing stringhalt, a spasm of the lateral extensor tendons of the hind legs in horses, if eaten in excess.

Mangorei, Taranaki Ringplain, New Zealand

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#2408 - Microtis unifolia - Common Onion-Orchid

Originally described as Ophrys unifolia, and also known as Epipactis porrifolia, and synonymised with 15 other species of Microtis.

in a planter on the footpath in New Plymouth - definitely not somewhere you'd expect an orchid, but apparently it's widespread and found in lawns, gardens, pine plaintations, mossy crevices in old buildings, etc. Sometimes a weed in plant nurseries. In the wild it can be found from swamps to rocky outcrops in semi-arid areas.

Found from south China to Japan, Malesia, and Australasia to the Southwest Pacific. It has a single green leaf and up to one hundred small green or yellowish-green flowers.

New Plymouth, Taranaki Ringplain, New Zealand.

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#2506 - Lobelia angulata - Pānakenake 

Previously known as Pratia angulata. The genus Lobelia is named after Mathias de Lobel (1538-1616) doctor of the Prince of Orange and later botanist of James I of England.

A small scrambling herbaceous endemic, on North, South and Stewart Islands, and a popular garden plant in shady damp areas.

Mangorei, Taranaki Ringplain, New Zealand.

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#2403 - Atrichum androgynum - Long Smoothcap 

AKA Catharinea androgyna, muelleri, and ligulata, Atrichum muelleri, ligulatum, and angustatum, and Polytrichum ligulatum. 'Atrichum' refers to the calyptra lacking the thick covering of hairs typical of genera of Polytrichaceae.

Found in New Zealand, SE Australia, and Southern Australia. The other 15-20 species 15–20 species are mostly found in temperate regions of both hemispheres.

Atrichum is a pioneer plant of open soil but unlike most other Polytrichaceae requires shady, moist habitats.

Lake Mangamahoe, Taranaki Ringplain, New Zealand