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Story: Rural language

Wild Irishman

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Wild Irishman

Wild Irishman or matagouri (Discaria toumatou) shrub was often a problem for early settlers in Central Otago and the eastern South Island. Not only could its thorns inflict a painful wound, but it inhibited the growth of pasture. The word matagouri is a corruption of the shrub’s Māori name, tūmatakuru.

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How to cite this page

Dianne Bardsley, Rural language – Farming difficulties, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/18605/wild-irishman (accessed 21 June 2026).

Story by Dianne Bardsley, published 1 March 2009.