Supplejack

Ripogonum scandens – kareao

Supplejack of the Tangihua forest are found.

Around the lodge, the nature trail and the confidence course. Supplejack is common vine in the Tangihua’s and found through out the ranges.

Supplejack description

Much of the language used to describe supplejack cannot be used here.

Supplejack is vine with dark brown stems which can form an impenetrable thicket. It begins as a small shrub and remains in this form for several years. After about four years the stem tips begin to spiral anticlockwise and once finds something to climb it grows upwards in search of light. When the supple jack reaches adequate light it produces non twining leafy stems that bear the flowers and fruit.

The vine will travel across trees at times coming back to the ground, growing new roots.

Very fast growing, during summer supplejack tips grow can 5 centimeters a day.

Supplejack leaves, flowers and Fruit

The leaves are mostly green dark green or yellow green. They are opposite, tough, and shiny, more or less ovate and measure up to 12 cm in length.

Male and female flowers are separate, very small and can be found from December to February. They produce large berries which are bright red in colour.

Uses

Supplejack was an important medicinal plant for Māori,

An infusion of the supplejack root was used to treat blood disorders, skin diseases, rheumatism, fever, bowel complaints and sexually transmitted diseases. There are even some reports that the decoction was drunk by pregnant women in order to cause an abortion. The shoots were eaten to treat scabies & itchiness, and sap from the broken stem was applied to cuts and grazes. For larger wounds, a piece of dry Kareao was ignited and burned near the cut to cauterise the wound.

The tough, pliable, woody stem provided an excellent construction material and was used to make baskets and bind fences, houses, canoes and platforms. The sturdy vines made excellent pots, traps and nets for catching crayfish, eels and fish such as kōkopu. It was also hollowed out and made into musical instruments such as trumpets and bullroarers.

The bright red flesh of the berry was eaten, however a more important food source would have been the soft growing shoots. Affectionately known as bush asparagus these shoots taste like green beans and provide an excellent thirst-quenching snack.

References

Te Ara

meaning of trees.com