''Brachyglottis repanda'', the rangiora or bushman's friend, is a small, bushy tree or tall shrub endemic (ecology), endemic to New Zealand. It grows to a height of 5 to 7 meters. The petioles of the leaves have a characteristic groove up to 10 cm long. The large Leaf, leaves with a soft furry underside have been referred to as "bushman's toilet paper". Other common names in Māori language, Māori (beyond ) include: , , , , , , , or .

Description

Rangiora is a shrub / small tree which grows to around 6 m (19.7 ft.) tall and has corky bark. It has leathery 5–25 cm long, 5–20 cm wide leaves suspended off of 8–10 cm grooved Petiole (botany), petioles. The leaves are a pale green above and white underneath as the underside is covered with many tiny white hairs. It flowers from August to October with dramatic panicle inflorescences made of 6 ribs and 3mm long Involucral, involucral bracts. Pseudanthium are 5mm in diameter and the inflorescences contain 10–12 yellow florets. The seeds are oblong and 1–1.8 mm long, with 2–3 mm rough yellow Pappus (botany), pappus. It fruits from November to December and Wind dispersal, disperses its seeds via the wind. File:Brachyglottis repanda 01.jpg, Leaf File:Brachyglottis repanda in Mount Ngongotaha SR (2).jpg, Flowers

Etymology

''Brachyglottis'' comes from the two greek words: ''Brachus,'' meaning short, and ''glottis'' which is the vocal apparatus of the larynx. ''Repanda'' means irregularly undulating, referring to the leaf margins.

Cultivation

Rangiora is easy to grow either from seed or from cuttings, though may be short-lived and requires a hard prune after flowering.

In Māori culture

Māori people, Māori used the plant for a number of medicinal uses. Rangiora leaves were used for wounds and old ulcerated sores, and the gum was chewed for foul breath but was poisonous if swallowed. The ethnographer Richard Taylor (missionary), Richard Taylor recorded that the leaves were used to wrap cakes made from Elaeocarpus dentatus, hīnau berry meal while they cooked in a hāngi. They were also used, he claimed, to line the baskets which held the siftings of raupō pollen in the process of making bread (from the pollen), the siftings then being thrown out.

Toxins

The botanist and chemist Bernard Aston reported that the honey made by bees produced with the nectar from rangiora is poisonous, and for this reason Māori never collected honey when it was in flower. The plant is also apparently poisonous to livestock, particularly horses, making them "drunk." The animals stagger around and fall, often to their death, as a result.

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4953449 Trees of New Zealand Brachyglottis, repanda Endemic flora of New Zealand