Ngā Rauropi Whakaoranga

Kāretu

scented grass, Holy grass

Belts (tū) for suspending breast ornaments (Te Rangi Hiroa 1949).

To make leaf more pliable, midrib (tuaka) taken out of each leaf before being used for plaiting belts (Best 1898, 1907).

Used for women"s belts, headbands, anklets, sachets, chaplets, etc. (Best 1942; Te Rangi Hiroa 1923)

"the daisy like flowers of the roniu (Brachycome odorata) [now Brachyscome radicata] and the flowering tops of the sweet-scented grass karetu...were worn round the neck, enclosed in fibrous leaves, as in a scented necklace". Sitting and sleeping places strewed with leaves. (Colenso 1868a).

"Its odour when fresh, confined in a small house, was always to me too powerful" (Colenso 1891b).

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

Buchanan 1868 lists kāretu among native grasses of best quality for pasture (Otago).

Scented grass used in medicated vapour baths (Taylor 1870; Goldie 1904).

Scaldhead (pātito) - take handful and a half and burn it, but not to ashes. Dust head 4 times a day. ( O'Carroll 1884).

See Riley 1994 for information on medicinal uses of related plants elsewhere in the world.

Culm used in game called topa, koke or niu ( Best 1925, p.167)