Story: Plant extracts

Pukatea

Pukatea

Māori used the bark of the tall pukatea (Laurelia novae-zelandiae) tree as a painkiller, boiling the inner layer to make a decoction. Pulped inner bark was also held in the mouth to ease toothache. Pukatea bark contains pukateine, which has a chemical structure similar to morphine. It was first isolated in 1910 by Bernard Aston, the first chemist at the Department of Agriculture.

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Photographs by Maggy Wassilieff; Jeremy Rolfe (inset)

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How to cite this page:

Nigel Perry, 'Plant extracts - Unique plants and chemicals', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/14459/pukatea (accessed 19 March 2024)

Story by Nigel Perry, published 24 Sep 2007