used by settlers in South Island ofNew Zealand for Towhai (q.v.), a New Zealand tree, Weinmannia racemosa, Forst. N.O. Saxifrageae.Kamahi is the Maori, and Karmai, or Kamai, thecorruption.
1876. W. N. Blair, `Transactions of the New Zealand Institute,'vol. ix. p. 148:
«As will be seen by the tables of names, kamai is called blackbirch in the Catlin River District and Southland, which name isgiven on account of a supposed resemblance to the `birches,'or more correctly `beeches,' a number of which occur in thatlocality. I cannot understand how such an idea could haveoriginated, for except in the case of the bark of one thereis not the slightest resemblance between the birches and kamai.Whatever be the reason, the misapplication of names iscomplete, for the birches are still commonly called kamai in Southland.»