Mairehau, Maire hau

Leionema nudum (Rutaceae)

Alternative name: Māireire, also from Proto-Polynesian *Maile

ETYMOLOGY:
From Proto Polynesian *Maile Alyxia stellata (Apocynaceae); possibly through
Proto Eastern Polynesian: *Maire hau, Fragrant plants reminiscent of the Alyxia vines .

COGNATE WORDS IN SOME OTHER POLYNESIAN LANGUAGES
Tongan, Niuean: Maile (Alyxia stellata, Apocynaceae)
Tahitian: Maire (Alyxia stellata; also the fragrant fern Polypodium pustulatum, Polypodiaceae)
Hawaiian: Maile (Alyxia olivaeformis)
Marquesan: Mei'e (Alyxia sp.)
Tuamotuan: Maire hau (Phymatosorus grossus, "Maile-scented fern", Polypodiaceae)
Rarotongan: Maire (Alyxia stellata; also a general name for ferns, applied especially to Phymatosorus scolopendria (Polypodiaceae)

RELATED MĀORI PLANT NAMES
Maire (Nestegis spp., Oleaceae, and other trees and shrubs, many with olive-like characteristics)
Note: See the other linked page (highlighted at the top of this page) for more information about the ancestral names, their modern descendents, and the plants they denote.

NOTE - THIS PROTO-PAGE IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

The mairehau is a many-branched shrub associated with kauri (Agathis australis) forests in the Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Coromandel regions. The narrow leaves, about 3-5cm long, are dotted with oil glands, making the whole plant aromatic even when the fragrant flowers are not in season. It is clearly for this reason that the early Polynesian settlers of New Zealand bestowed on this species the names mairehau and māireire. The botanical name Leionema nudum is of very recent vintage; books published before 2015 will refer to the mairehau as Phebalium nudum.