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Austroderia spp. Toetoe.

Name document
Chemistry
Construction
Domestic
Fishing and Hunting
Food
Pastime
Proverbs
Scent
Traditions
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Click to collapse Scientific name Info

Austroderia richardii

Austroderia fulvida

Austroderia splendens

Austroderia toetoe

Click to collapse Previous names Info

Arundo conspicua, Arundo kakaho. Cortaderia spp.

Click to collapse Māori names Info

TOETOEtoetoe-kākahotoetoe-mokorokahotoetoe-rākau 

culm: kākaho, pukākaho (Beattie); 

kākaho-matariki (best culms for house lining)

kākaho-puha (crooked, inferior culms). ​​

Click to collapse Common names Info

Click to collapse Food Info

Used in process of making bread from raupō pollen (Taylor 1855).

"On its branches [tawhero tree, Weinmannia silvicola] would hang two, three, or four tukohu of different sizes, used for cooking food in the boiling or steam holes. These were made of toetoe, pampas grass, plaited by the women. Flax was not used because it gives a taste to the food." (Makereti 1938).

Tūkohu are cylindrical baskets used for cooking food in hot springs (or for holding food to steep in water [Ed.]

Click to collapse Fishing and hunting Info

Culms used as arrows, with heads of katara, the hard black substance found in trunks of tree ferns (Tuta Nihoniho, Ngati Porou, in Best 1925)

Click to collapse Domestic Info

Sometimes used for making mats and baskets. Leaves strewn round sitting and sleeping places (Colenso 1868a)

Click to collapse Construction Info

".. it is used to line their houses with, and looks extremely neat." (Taylor 1855)

House battens. This handsome reed used along with nīkau fronds for the inner works of roofs, sides and partitions etc. (Colenso 1868a).

Used for walls of kūmara storage houses (Colenso 1880).

In Murihiku, meeting houses covered with pukākaho reeds, then thatched with tussock (pātītī). (Beattie 1994)

Used for lining roof and walls of raised storage houses (Best 1916).

Kākaho-matariki, best culms for house-lining. Kākaho-pūhā, somewhat crooked, inferior culms. Rake kākaho, a large number of the better, straight culms. Toetoe-kākaho, not very good thatch, but used for huts. Rush (wīwī) more durable (Best 1907).

Kākaho reeds were cut at certain seasons. "Much time and trouble was spent in finding kākaho of a light instead of a deep yellow colour, and in getting long lengths of the same thickness. The kākaho preferred grew in the forest. (Makereti 1938)

Click to collapse Scent Info

Used in recipe for scent. See Aciphylla (Brett"s Guide 1883).

Click to collapse Chemistry Info

Chemical compounds in leaves, leaf wax listed in Cambie 1988, with references.

Click to collapse Proverbs Info

"He taanga kākaho ka kitea e te kanohi; tena ko te taanga ngakau ekore e kitea. A mark, or knot.., of a reed can be seen with the eye, but that of the heart can not be seen." A similar proverb is also given. (Colenso 1879: 129)

Click to collapse Traditions Info

Used ceremonially on sea voyages, on reaching land (Best 1925).

Click to collapse Pastime Info

Stalks used for spears in games. Culms used for kite making ( Best 1925)

Click to collapse Metadata Info

09e362b0-d21d-4b68-a433-5632fedcf83c
name
28 May 2007
1 July 2020
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