With its jointed stems and heart-shaped leaves riddled with caterpillar holes, kawakawa (Macropiper excelsum) is one of the easiest forest trees to identify. It produces finger-sized spikes of flowers that ripen to a deep orange in summer. Sometimes mourners at Māori funerals wear wreaths of leafy kawakawa twigs (pare kawakawa) around their heads.
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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Photograph by Alastair McLean
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Comments
if you have access to a cold
peter (not verified)
04 March 2012
Kawa Kawa has to be one of
Ni Jefferis (not verified)
26 May 2011
I have heard on 2ZB talkback
Marie Foster (not verified)
21 March 2011
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