August 2012 Issue - Federated Mountain Clubs of NZ

The Last WordWilliam Colenso on speargrass inthe Ruahine Range‘One of our party, a strong, robust Maori, had been pricked or stabbed rather severely by a largeAciphylla, insomuch that the blood spurted out: at the sight of this he got enraged … and throwingoff his back-load, and obtaining the long handled axe, which another was carrying, he hastenedtowards the plant, vowing he would cut it up by the roots! The spear-like leaves, however, spreadingout all round it like a circle of fixed bayonets – being longer (including their big leaf stalk) than thehelve of the axe and very tough and elastic, quite kept him from doing any harm to the plant, whichseemed to mock his impotent rage; so, after gaining a few more pricks from it for his labour, hewas obliged, doubly vexed though he was at our looking on and laughing, to give up the unequalcombat.’Letter ‘The Wild Irishman’, Hawke’s Bay Herald 6 February 1894, as quoted in GiveYour Thoughts Life, William Colenso’s Letters to the Editor, compiled by Ian St GeorgeSpeargrass, Aciphylla colensoi Photo: Shaun Barnett/Black Robin PhotographyFMC60FMC Bulletin • August 2012