Aristotelia serrata. Makomako. Wineberry.
Previous names
Previous names
Aristotelia racemosa
Common names
Food
Berries eaten (especially by children) (Many informants, North and South Islands). Could also be squeezed to get a thick fluid like the tutu, which made a nice sweetish drink (Makereti 1938).
Dyes
Contains tannin (Smith 1879).
Bark provides a blue-black dye (New Zealand Journal 1846; Colenso 1868a; Kirk, in Taylor 1870).
Bark bruised and steeped in water, produces a blue-black dye (White, from ms. in Dominion Museum, quoted in Aston 1918b ; Bretts Guide 1883 ; Reed and Brett's Almanac 1874).
Khaki dye (Wall, Cranwell 1943).
Fishing and hunting
Poles used as handles for fishing nets. Light, but liable to break. Tānekaha or mānuka preferred.(Te Rangi Hiroa 1926)
Environment
A fast growing tree. Haase (1990) suggests it could be of interest to the pulp and paper industry, or used for restoration of mining sites, etc.
Medicinal
Strip bark, boil an hour or so, use as bath for rheumatism (Poverty Bay Federation of Women's Institutes Cookery Calendar ; mid 1930s)
Leaves boiled with a little water, liquid used on burns, and for rheumatism. Leaves also warmed on hot coals, applied and bandaged on burns - olive oil used to remove the dried leaves (Adams 1945).
Nearly fill a billy with leaves. Add enough water to cover the leaves. Boil till the water is coloured. Use for boils and burns. Bathe the boil or burn twice a day. (P. Smith 1940).
Leaves boiled, liquid used for sore eyes ( H. Kahaki and K. Kahaki, Te Kaha ; H. Hei)
Infusion of bark of makomako soaked in cold water for sore eyes. ( M. Withers 1941)
Leaves boiled, used as a pack for burns; infusion also applied ( M. Stevens 1941).
Related pharmacology, see Brooker, Cambie and Cooper 1987.
Pastime
Best 1925: Sticks used in game called poi rākau among Ngāti Porou (Tuta Nihoniho). Poi occasionally made from light wood such as houama (whau) or mako. Saplings used for stilts.
