The three plants cultivated by the Maori—Kumera (_Ipomœa Batatas_), Hue (_Cucurbita_, _sp._), and Taro (_Caladium esculentum_), are all to be found growing wild. There are also now to be found wild many of our garden vegetables, including the potato, tomato, capsicum, tobacco, cabbage, cape gooseberry (_Physalis Peruviana_), watercress—called Kowhiti by the natives—and many more.
Lastly, the Maori made use of several seaweeds and a number of fungi. But, as Britons at home persist in despising all other fungi but the field mushroom and the truffle, I suppose they will hardly take to such food here, dainty though it is. One fungus (_Hirneola_, _sp._) is gathered here to a small extent for export to China. It fetches about 15_s._ to £1 per cwt., and about £1000 worth are annually exported. It grows plentifully on certain trees. The field mushroom (_Agaricus campestris_), well known in England, has appeared on our paddocks, sometimes in enormous quantities. Together with its congener the horse-mushroom (_A. arvensis_), this fungus is not indigenous, according to Maori information on the subject. I have heard the species called "Harori-kai-pakeha," which conveys the idea that the field mushroom is an introduced species. But the Maori applied the name of Harori to several species belonging to the families _Agaricus_, _Amanita_, _Lepiota_, etc., which we call "toadstools." They were accustomed to eat certain of these, and do so still, if they happen to find them in the bush. All fungi growing on trees they call Hakeke, or Popoiahakeke. Of these, they were accustomed to eat the three or four species of _Hirneola_, which are indigenous, and one or two _Polypori_ besides. One of the latter tribe yielded them a surgical appliance. A mushroom they name Putawa, is a _Boletus_. Probably more than one species of this family was customarily eaten. The Maori also ate the Pukurau (_Lycoperdon Fontainesii_), and possibly other species of puff-balls besides. They knew the esculent value of the Pekepekekiore (_Hydnum Clathroides_), but their chiefest dainty and most esteemed treasure among fungi, is the Paruwhatitiri, or "thunder-dirt" (_Ileodictyon cibarium_). The volva of this extraordinary fungus is eaten, and is regarded as a great dainty. There are many species of fleshy fungi in the bush, but little is known of them, either by Maori, settlers, or scientists.