Forest Vines

Supplejack on Ulva Island. Feb 2009. Ajr

Meet the impressively-named Rhipogonum scandens, commonly known as supplejack, a New Zealand native vine found in dense bush throughout the country. It is also known to Maori as pirita or kareao and they used its flexible stems to make, among other things, hinaki (eel traps), fish traps, nets and bird cages and taruke (crayfish pots). They also made the vine into a tea, which was used as a tonic for a range of common ailments.