Ngā Rauropi Whakaoranga

Buchanan, Stewart, Jacob 2017 say that over 35 different names recorded for this fungus.

tūtae-whetū, popo-whatitiri, mata-kupenga, kōkirikiri whetū, korokorowhetū, tūtae-kēhua, tūtae-whatitiri. pukurau, paruwhatitiri, tiko-whatitiri - all in Best 1942

 matakupenga, kōpura whetū,popo,wheterau in Beever 1991

Best 1910 says tūtae-whetū should be more properly termed korokoro-whetū

Beattie says whareatua is name for common field mushroom among Southern Māori.  However, see note under Traditions. Name also recorded by Best 1942 

basket fungus, lattice fungus. A stinkhorn fungus.

The receptacle can be very large, up to 16 cm across. It is a spherical white net with the gleba smeared all over the inside of the meshes. The basket can break free and be rolled away some distance from where it hatched. (Taylor 1981)

Used as food (Colenso 1868a ; Kirk, in Taylor 1870).

Outer shell only eaten, when young and before it burst - after bursting, has an unendurable stench (Colenso 1880).

".. these fungi while in their young, unbroken egg-like condition were formerly eaten by the maoris; in that state they have none of that offensive ill-odour that pertains only to the fully-expanded pileus and which is confined to the thick brownish slime with which it is covered : the difference is just that between a fresh-laid and an addled egg."

Tradition of raid called Kai-wharetua related in Beattie 1920. Te Taua-a-Te-Whareatua was a war party. The whareatua is not a proper mushroom but is thin and pale inside (Mrs Wesley to Beattie. Supplementary notes gathered between 1920-1940, MS 582/E/11, Hocken Archives, Dunedin)