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Myrsine australis. Māpou.

Name document
Chemistry
Domestic
Fishing and Hunting
Medicinal
Traditions
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Click to collapse Previous names Info

Myrsine urvilleiMyrsine urvilliae (in Taylor 1855), Suttonia australis

Click to collapse Māori names Info

MĀPOUmāpau (Best 1907, State Conservator of Forests 1877), tīpau (Ngāpuhi - Taylor 1855), matipoutāpautakapou; mataira (Chatham Islands - Beever 1991), teateahenga (Te Rangi Hiroa 1949

māpua (Best 1929, but likely to be a spelling error) 

Click to collapse Common names Info

Click to collapse Fishing and hunting Info

Used on Chatham Islands to make keels of waka pahi. (Best 1925, Shand 1911).

A straight piece of māpou (or toro) was used to make the lower piece of the handle of a bag net by the Rororua Māori. The māpou is very springy and will not break or snap ( Te Rangi Hiroa 1921)

Click to collapse Domestic Info

Wood resembles beech. Used for chairmaking, carpenters" tools, walking sticks etc. (Colenso 1868a). (N.B. Details on colonial timber uses generally not part of this database).

Wallace 1989 found 2 fernroot beaters, 8 adze sockets, 13 kō and 6 teka made of Myrsine sp. (probably māpou) among museum artefacts he tested.

Click to collapse Medicinal Info

Used for toothache and for cleaning teeth (Collier 1959).

Leaves boiled and infusion used for toothache (H. Honana 1941).

Further notes on chemistry and related pharmacology in Brooker, Cambie and Cooper 1987. See also Riley 1994.

Click to collapse Chemistry Info

Chemical compounds described in Briggs et al 1967.

Further notes on chemistry in Brooker, Cambie and Cooper 1987.

Click to collapse Traditions Info

Branches used in ceremonies. E.g. baptism (Best 1929, 1942).

The Horouta brought a mapau named Ateateahenga to be used in planting ceremonies for kūmara (Turei 1912, Te Rangi Hiroa 1949).

That tree was left at Waiapu (Turei 1912, p.161)

A green branch of māpou used as a mauri in kūmara plantations (Makereti 1938)

Click to collapse Metadata Info

dde0ca8c-79fe-452a-97a1-6f0716ff0cdd
name
28 May 2007
1 July 2020
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