Maori name: Rahurahu
Common name: Bracken
Botanical name: Pteridium esculentum
Rahurahu is a fern found throughout New Zealand.
A cure for headaches was to have the Maori priest beat
together stalks of rahurahu over the patient’s head whilst singing a chant.
Rahurahu was also used as a spiritually cleansing plant.
To cleanse a person a fern stalk was attached to the person and the priest would repeat words over them before they were thrown in a river.
The tender shoot and root were eaten or chewed to treat dysentery.
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