Identifying Prickly Mingimingi (Leptecophylla juniperina)

Take great care when identifying wild plants and fungi, this blog is not a resource to be taken by itself and further resources will be linked. Consult other sources and double check. While foraging is an extremely rewarding and useful skill, numerous common plants and fungi can make you sick or kill you. Be absolutely sure of what you’re eating and, when gathering, ensure you leave enough not only to ensure the survival and growth of the species but also enough for others to enjoy, from the human and more-than-human communities. Also cultivate an awareness of contamination and pollution – wastewater runoff, spraying, exhaust fumes – as this should affect your decision to harvest.

The Plant

Leptecophylla juniperina is a perennial shrub from the Ericaceae family. It is native to Aotearoa and can be found in the North and South Islands. The name “Leptecophylla” comes from the Greek word “lepteces” meaning “fine-pointed” and “phyllum” meaning leaf, in reference to mingimingi’s sharply pointed leaves. “Juniperina” refers to the plants similarity to Juniper plants. “Mingimingi” is the Māori word for “twisted” referring to their trunks and branches and “prickly” is used before it to differentiate between regular mingimingi which has much softer leaves.

Description

Prickly mingimingi is a perennial evergreen shrub which tends to grow in native forests in Aotearoa. The shrub grows to about 2 metres high with branches forming an upright or prostrate bushy appearance depending on how mountainous the area is. The sharp, short, narrow leaves grow circularly around the branchlets densely and each leaf is 6-15 mm long. The bark of the trunk and branches are black or grey and often mottled with lichens and/or mosses. They produce small bell-shaped white flowers and grow singularly at the base of the leaves. Prickly mingimingi grows as separate male and female plants and is generally wind pollinated. They then produce round red, pink, or white berries which are slightly flattened at the top and bottom and each fruit contains one seed.

Ecology

I have come across prickly mingimingi in many lowland to montane native forests in Aotearoa and often sharing space with beech or kanuka. They can often be found in slightly more sunny locations where they aren’t too overcrowded by canopy trees and they can tolerate very poor clay soils. They like cool, wet summers and moderate winters. The flowers bloom primarily in October and November and the fruit is produced primarily in summer and autumn.

Nutritional & Medicinal Information

In traditional Māori medicine the prickly leaves were boiled in a small amount of water and consumed as a tea to help with ailments such as kidney issues, menstrual disorders, and asthma.

Māori would also brew the leaves as a dressing for septic wounds.

Possible Lookalikes

Mingimingi (Leucopogon fasciculatus) is a commonly found mingimingi species that is also native to Aotearoa and part of the Ericaceae family. A noticeable difference is that mingimingi leaves are a bit broader and much softer to the touch than prickly mingimingi. The leaves and berries are also edible.

Interesting Facts

Prickly mingimingi has many Māori names including mingi, mikimiki, miki, hukihuki, hukihukiraho, taumingi, tūmingi, inakapōriro, inangapōriro, mangapōriro, kūkuku, ngohungohu.

Storage & Cooking

Berries should be picked when they are ripe coloured (no longer green). The flesh of the fruit is rather floury and bland but there is a hint of sweetness and so would be best used fresh in salads, eaten on their own, or used as a decoration for cakes and other desserts rather than relying on their flavour alone.

Enjoy my fellow foragers!

Further Reading

iNaturalist

New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Cit Sci Hub

University of Auckland

Tararua Tramping Club

Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research