Ngā Rauropi Whakaoranga

Elytranthe tetrapetala, Loranthus decussatus, Loranthus fieldii, Loranthus punctatus (Colenso), Loranthus tetrapetalus

PIRIRANGI, pikirangi; pikiraki (southern term; Tunuku Karetai in Beattie, MS 582/E/11, Hocken), pirinoa; rorerore (Taylor 1855, Best 1907).

 pirita: generic name for mistletoes, also supplejack. 

The flowers, or when in flower: korukoru

mistletoe

Grows as parasite on tawai (Nothofagus) trees round Waikaremoana (Best 1907)

[Although Williams 1971 gives korokoru as P. colensoi in flower, the description in Best could also refer to P. tetrapetala. Ed. ]

Berries eaten (Tunuku Karetai in Beattie, MS 582/E/11, Hocken).

Children used berries of pikiraki as chewing-gum. Berries are sweet and go into a pulp that can be chewed for a long time.... Taste pleasant enough while it lasted (Beattie 1994)

"Legend says that the pikiraki was the last plant remaining in the kit of Tane....... He looked at it tenderly and said "I cannot let my last child lie on the ground', and that is why it is a parasitic plant perched high up on the big trees, a kind of mistletoe with red flowers" (Beattie 1920)

"Mr Field gives rorerore as the Native name of a red-flowering Loranthus in the Taupo district" (Best 1907)