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| *Kafika [Proto Polynesian, from Proto-Oceanic *Kapika] |
Kāhikahika |
Metrosideros fulgens [formerly M. scandens] "Rata vine" (Myrtaceae) |
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Alternative names: Rātā, Rātāpiki, Aka, Akakura, Akatawhiwhi, Amaru, Whakatangitangi, and Whakapiopio |
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ETYMOLOGY:
From Proto Oceanic *Kapika, Syzygium malaccensis (Myrtaceae) through:
Proto Polynesian *Kafika, Syzygium malaccensis (Myrtaceae)
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Metrosideros fulgens - Kāhikahika, Akakura
(Young stem and roots clinging to host tree. Photo (c) Jeremy Rolfe, NZPCN.)
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Metrosideros fulgens - Kāhikahika
(Flowers and foliage. Photo: (c) Wayne Bennett, NZPCN) |
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COGNATE WORDS IN SOME OTHER POLYNESIAN LANGUAGES
(Reflexes of PPN: *Kafika, Syzygium malaccensis [Myrtaceae])
Tongan: Fekika (Syzygium malaccensis)
Niuean: Fekakai (S. malaccensis) & Kafika (S. inophylloides)
Samoan: Nonu fi'afi'a (S. malaccensis)
Hawaiian: 'ōhia 'ai (S. malaccensis) & ōhia, 'ōhia lehua (Metrosideros spp.)
Rarotongan: Rarotongan: Ka'ika (S. malaccensis)
Note: In English, this vine is also known as a "Rātā".
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RELATED MĀORI PLANT NAMES
The flower is known as puatawhiwhi. |
Watch this space! This is one of the pages written in the prototype stage of this web site, which has been transferred with minimal changes to the newer format. It is still therefore very much under construction, but contains the essential linguistic and botanical information, and both updated text and more pictures will be added progressively as soon as time permits (new pages for plant names not yet discussed are being given priority). If you would like this page to be updated sooner than planned, please email a note to temaarareo at gmail.com.
The kāhikahika is a liane which climbs high into the forest trees. Its stems will become 10 cm or more thick, covered with a brown flaky bark. The flowers are born in profusion through the autumn and winter months -- the petals of the flower buds and the tips of the stamens are yellow, and the rest of the flower is bright red or orange. Occasionally, the whole flower may be yellow when it first opens.
The name is a reduplicated form of the root "kahika" (the last two syllables of the root are repeated and the first lengthened -- meaning "a kind of kahika", or "reminiscent of a kahika"; from Proto-Polynesian *kafika. Follow the link at the top of this page for more information!
Metrosideros fulgens - Kāhikahika
(Emerging flowers, showing stamens and pistil. Photo: (c) Jeremy Rolfe, NZPCN.)
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Metosideros fulgens - Kāhikahika. (Inflorescence [Puatawhiwhi].
Te Marua, Wellington. Photo: (c) Jeremy Rolfe, NZPCN. |
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| References and further reading: More later. Meanwhile, see general works on NZ plants in the bibliography. Websites with information on New Zealand plants include Robert Vennell's The Meaning of Trees, the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, and the Landcare / Manaaki Whenua NZ Flora database, all of which have links to other sources of information. The University of Auckland School of Biological Sciences also has an excellent website dedicated to New Zealand native plants. The Cook Island Biodiversity Network Database and Wikipedia are good places to start looking for information about the tropical plants. |
Photographs: The photographs, all by members of the NZ Plant Conservation Network, are acknowledged in the captions. We are grateful to the photographers for permission to use their work.
Citation: This page may be cited as: R. A. Benton (2009) "The Māori plant name Kāhikahika" (web page periodically updated), Te Māra Reo. "http://www.temarareo.org/TMR-Kahikahika.html" (Date accessed)
(Hoki atu ki runga -- Go back to the top of the page.) |
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