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This article was published in Tararua Tramper March 2025
April in the hills with Michele Dickson and Chris Horne
Peka-a-waka is in the Orchidaceae family. For some general comments about orchids see Earina autumnalis in the March 2025 Tramper. There are three species in the Earina genus in New Zealand, all endemic. E. aestivalis is very similar to E. mucronata but less common and we won’t describe it in these articles.
Origin of the botanical name - Earina means vernal – ‘of springtime’, from the Greek word 'earinos'; mucronata means tipped with a short, sharp point, from the Latin word 'mucro' – sharp point. Distribution - Peka-a-waka is endemic to New Zealand. It occurs on Te Ika a Māui / North Island, Te Waipounamu / South Island, Rakiura / Stewart Island and Rekohu / Chatham Island. Look for it in coastal to montane forests, mostly epiphytic on forest tree trunks and branches, but also found on fallen logs, rocks, cliff faces and banks or concrete walls in urban areas.
Growth habit - Peka-a-waka is a 'pendant' orchid – its unbranched, flattened, cane-like stems, are up to 1 m long and pendulous. Clumps of plants are usual. The green to dark- green, strap-like, tapering, pointed leaves are 1–3-nerved. The main vein is only weakly depressed and lateral veins mostly inconspicuous. The leaves are usually flexuose, 6-20cmlongx3-5mmwide,leathery, with sheaths at the base, which remain when the leaf soon falls. The intertwined rhizome is firmly attached to its substrate and fleshy or spongy to help retain water.
Reproduction - Peka-a-waka flowers from August to January. The flowers are in drooping inflorescences up to 10 cm long, wiry, with short branches 3 - 4 cm long, bearing the flowers, 6 - 10 mm in diameter. Within the uniform arrangement of orchid flowers, the petal-like parts, especially the uppermost and lowermost are often highly modified. The lowermost part of peka-a-waka flowers, called the labellum or lip, is greatly widened with another, lower lobe connected by a narrow neck. The labellum hangs well below the other floral parts and is yellow-orange, yellowish, deep apricot or white, differing from the lighter greenish cream or pale yellow of the other petal-like parts. The slight, sweet scent of the flowers attracts pollinating insects, which leave with some of the sticky clump of pollen mixed with a viscid substance, known as pollinia. Pollinia are common in epiphytic orchids. The fruit appear from September to April. The young capsules are deeply grooved and yellow green to green maturing to grey. Orchid seeds are tiny and dust-like, dispersed by wind.
Uses - We have been unable to find any uses for peka-a-waka.
Where to find peka-a-waka? - Look for it in reserves in the Wellington area, the Tararua, Remutaka and Aorangi ranges, and wherever you tramp in native bush.
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In The Hills 2025-03 < Index chronological > In The Hills 2025-05