pohutukawa
noun
- a New Zealand evergreen tree, Metrosideros excelsa (family Myrtaceae) that produces a brilliant display of red (or occasionally orange, yellow or white) flowers
- a New Zealand variety of the sweet potato
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /poːˈhutukʌwʌ/ / /pəˌhuːtəˈkʌːwə/ / /pəˌhuːtəˈkɑːwə/
noun
Etymology: Borrowed from Māori pōhutukawa.
- A coastal evergreen tree, Metrosideros excelsa, native to New Zealand and producing a brilliant display of red flowers with prominent stamens around Christmastime.
“I found in an old-fashioned garden overlooking the beach and the pohutukawa trees, the mulberry tree with leaves to feed our ‘charges’, and a kindly owner willing to give me supplies of leaves.”
“On the map, this road ends with the representation of a sacred pōhutukawa tree.”