Weinmannia racemosa, commonly called k?mahi, is an evergreen small shrub to medium-sized tree of the family Cunoniaceae. It is the most abundant forest tree in New Zealand, occurring in lowland, montane, and subalpine forests and shrubland from the central North Island south to Stewart Island.
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Description
K?mahi bears racemes of small, pink or white flowers from July to January. Fruits are small capsules, 4-6 mm (0.16-0.24 in) long, ripening from October to May. K?mahi generally occurs with other broadleaf trees, at times acting as a pioneer species which is eventually succeeded by the southern beeches (Nothofagus spp.) or podocarps. It reaches 25 m (82 ft) or more in the Catlins of the south-eastern South Island. In forests to the west of the Southern Alps it codominates with southern r?t? (Metrosideros umbellata) and black beech (N. solandri). A closely related tree, t?wai or tawhero (W. silvicola), replaces k?mahi in the North Island north of latitude 38°S.
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Uses
The bark is very high in tannin, about 13%, and was once exported for tanning. The inner bark was used as a laxative by M?ori. The wood has a tendency to warp or crack, so it is little used despite the tree's abundance.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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