Maori name: Kumarahou,
Common name: Gumdigger’s soap, poverty weed.
Botanical name: Pomaderris kumeraho
Kumarahou is an attractive shrub that grows in the North Island,
When the yellow head of the flower is crushed in the hands and mixed with water it produces a soapy lather, accounting for the name “gumdigger’s soap”.
The liquid extract obtained by steeping the leaves in water was used for the relief of chest complaints. The liquid was also taken internally for colds and asthma, and in particular for bronchitis. Extracts of kumarahou were also drunk to treat tuberculosis.
The liquid obtained from steeping the leaves in boiling water was used with good effect as a bath for skin disorders, especially for children.
A bath full of kumarahou leaves was given to people suffering from kidney problems.
