Ngā Rauropi Whakaoranga

māikaika. Taylor 1855 gives this name for all terrestrial orchids.

potato orchid

The starchy tubers are similar to perei, Gastrodia cunninghamii, but smaller (up to 8 cm x 3 cm as opposed to 25 cm x 5 cm). Not recorded as being used for food by Maori, but could have been. Isaacs, quoted in Crowe 1990, says the tubers were eaten by the Aborigines of Tasmania.