Solanum tuberosum. Potato.
Māori names
Generic names for potato: rīwai Shortland
hīwai, parareka, kapana (Kaipara, Beever 1991); taewa and variants - taewha, taiawa, taiwha Beever 1991, taiwa. All in Williams 1971.
Beever 1991 also lists huiwaiwaka, mahetau Shortland and paratē (Kaipara). Mahetau (also recorded by Shortland) is recorded by Williams as a variety; paratē is recorded by Williams as the term for maize.
Generic names for potato: rīwai, hīwai, parareka, kapana (Kaipara,Beever 1991); taewa and variants - taewha, taiawa, taiwha, taiwa. All in Williams 1971.
Beever 1991 also lists huiwaiwaka, mahetau and paratē (Kaipara). Mahetau (also recorded by Shortland) is recorded by Williams as a variety. Paratē is recorded by Williams as the term for maize.
Common names
Food
Cultivated for food. See description of old method used by Tūhoe for cleaning potatoes in Best 1902.
Medicinal
Water in which they have been boiled used as a lotion for piauau, pimples and all cutaneous eruptions, also for burns ( Taylor 1848 and 1870).
Pharmacology of potato in Connor 1977.
Related pharmacology and chemistry in Brooker, Cambie and Cooper 1987.
Traditions
Traditions on early obtaining of potato in Best 1902: 84.
Notes
Potato probably first introduced by Captain Cook. Many other cultivars brought in since, or raised locally. ( Flora IV 1988). See other records in infobase.
Nicholas described plantations of potatoes in his account of travels in Bay of Plenty and Thames (1817).