pirita
1. (noun) supplejack, Ripogonum scandens - a high-climbing, woody native plant with tough pliant stems used in the construction of hīnaki, etc. Longish leaves are opposite, toothless, with obvious lengthwise parallel veins and the round fruit bright red. Stem is usually finger-thick, smooth and almost black.
Ki te mau mātau e takahi ana i tēnei ture a rātau, ka whiua mātau ki te kirikau, ki te pirita rānei, mamae rawa (HP 1991:32). / If we were caught disobeying this rule of theirs we were punished with the strap or a supplejack cane and it really hurt.
See also kareao
Synonyms: kekereao, karewao, taiore, kakareao, kakarewao, akapirita
2. (noun) green mistletoe, Ileostylus micranthus - a hemiparasitic shrub with thick leaves of various shapes. Flowers greenish yellow and fruit pale yellow. Found on a range of hosts throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand.
See also pirinoa
4. (noun) yellow mistletoe, Alepis flavida - a hemiparasitic shrub with thick bright green to yellow-green leaves. Flowers yellow and fruit oval and yellow. Found mainly on tāwhai species.
See also pirinoa
5. (noun) white mistletoe, Tupeia antarctica - a hemiparasitic shrub with broad to narrow leaves. Flowers yellow or yellow-green and fruit white to pink, often speckled darker pink. Found particularly on tarata, maire raunui and whauwhaupaku.
See also tāpia
6. (noun) leafless mistletoe, Korthalsella salicornioides - very small, tufted, succulent, leafless mistletoe. Dense mass of green to reddish-yellow beaded succulent stems to 10cm long growing on twigs of another plant (mainly mānuka and kānuka). Leaves (stems) 3-10mm long by 1-3mm wide, round. Flowers tiny, fruit small, yellowish.
