Cabbage Trees

Title: Cabbage Trees
I thought this review posted by Frances and Ted Verrity <verrity@actrix.gen.nz> on the BotanyBooks list  might be of interest to this group:

Dancing Leaves, the Story of New Zealand's Cabbage Tree: Ti Kouka, by Philip
Simpson, Canterbury University Press, 2000. over 300 pages, 600
illustrations, ranging from the author's magnificent colour photographs to
reproductions in art, paperback. ISBN 0-908812-76-0

Philip Simpson, a former Department of Conservation Botanist, has published
a wonderful book on what we in New Zealand call Cabbage Trees. These are
species of Cordyline growing in New Zealand - C. banksii, C. pumilio, C.
kaspar, C. indivisa, and the most common, C. australis. The book is Dancing
Leaves, the Story of New Zealand's Cabbage Tree: Ti Kouka, Canterbury
University Press). One reviewer said "You might wonder how cabbage trees
could hold anybody's attention for over 300 pages but ... Philip Simpson
does the trick with engaging warmth, charm, colour and infectious concern."
Philip visited hundreds of out-of-the-way rivers, swamps, maraes, burial
sites, and farms; scoured the world's museums, art galleries and libraries
for maps, photos, artifacts and information, and interviewed anybody and
everybody with an interest, feeling, or story about cabbage trees.

Part one deals with the natural world of the cabbage tree:
Chapter 1 What is a cabbage tree?
Chapter 2 Cabbage trees and their siblings: the genus Coryline
Chapter 3 Ecology of cabbage trees
Chapter 4 Structure and growth

Part two deals with the Maori world of the cabbage tree, ti kouka
Chapter 5 He whakapapa ti - (the "genealogy" of the cabbage tree to the
Maori)
Chapter 6 Nga hikoi me ti: journeys with cabbage trees
Chapter 7 Nga mahi ti: Maori uses of cabbage trees

Part 3 deals with the Pakeha (non-Maori) world of the cabbage tree
Chapter 8 Cabbage trees in the Pakeha landscape
Chapter 9 Cabbage trees in art
Chapter 10 Cabbage trees in design
Chapter 11 Growing cabbage trees

Part 4 deals with "integrating three worlds" sustaining the cabbage tree
Chapter 12 Cabbage trees in trouble
Chapter 13 New hope for cabbage trees

The book covers the history, biology and ecology of the tree, its usefulness
and spiritual importance to Maori, its significance in New Zealand's
landscape, art, design and gardening. Art, poetry, prose, and landscape
gardening are featured. There is a chapter called "Cabbage trees in
trouble" - showing how the changes in the environment with European
settlement and land clearing have affected the tree, and what has been
called "sudden decline", when in the 1980s cabbage trees started dying for
no apparent reason, and this grew to epidemic proportions. The "decline"
seems to be in "decline" now - but we all have to remain vigilant to save
our trees. We have a very large one at our gate, and several in the
neighbourhood.

To quote the reviewer again: "As national emblems, Britain may have its
heart of oak, Canada its maple, Hawaii its coconut palm and Australia its
gum tree, but New Zealand has its cabbage tree. There's much more to the
tree than meets the eye. The book is a great pleasure to read".

The book is available from
Canterbury University Press
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch
New Zealand

Orders can be emailed to mail@cup.canterbury.ac.nz
They also have a web page with mail order facility -
www.cup.canterbury.ac.nz

The cost is New Zealand dollars $59.95 plus postage and packaging. As the
New Zealand dollar is very low and the moment - you just cannot pass up this
bargain! I can strongly recommend this book to all who are interested in the
history and importance of particular plants.

John MacGregor
jonivy@earthlink.net

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