hutukawa
1. (noun) pōhutukawa, New Zealand Christmas tree, Metrosideros excelsa, Metrosideros kermadecensis, Metrosideros bartlettii - trees found in coastal areas which bear large, red flowers about Christmas time and have leaves which are velvety-white underneath. Metrosideros bartlettii has white flowers and occurs in the northern North Island.
Ka tino purotu te puāwai o te rākau, arā, o te kōwhai, o te hutukawa, o te rātā, o te heketara, o te rangiora (TTT 1/4/1929:972). / The flowers of the trees were quite beautiful, that is of the kōwhai, the pōhutukawa, the rātā, the tree daisy and the rangiora.
See also pōhutukawa
Synonyms: pōhutukawa, kaihika
2. (noun) head-dress - traditionally of red feathers.
Nā, ka tino tata tonu mai ka kite tonu mai i uta nei, ka whiua te hutukawa, i hua ki te rātā, e mumura atu ana i uta nei he hutukawa (NM 1928:95). / Now, when they were quite close they could see the shore clearly and they threw away their head-dresses because the rātā trees blooming and the pōhutukawa trees were in brilliant colour on the shore.
