The forest is quiet. Coprosma foetidissima stands in the shade. Its leaves are dull green. Its berries are pale blue. A possum approaches. It sniffs. It turns away. The stinkwood does not move. It does not need to. Its smell is its shield. And the shield works. Most easily recognised by the rotten-egg smell released when its leaves are crushed. A plant that announces itself through stench. The leaves are a dull light green. They are oblong or egg-shaped. Up to ten centimetres long. The small, insignificant flowers are followed by small berries. They are pale blue or white when ripe. The unpleasant smell deters browsing animals. It allows the plant to thrive in forests where other species are heavily browsed. A plant that survives by smelling terrible. The leaves contain chemicals that produce the characteristic odour. The smell has been compared to rotten eggs. To sewage. To boiled cabbage. It is strongest when the leaves are crushed or damaged. But it can also be detected on warm days when the plant is undisturbed. The odour is thought to be a defence mechanism. It deters browsing by possums and deer. A plant that fights back with chemistry. The stems are slender and branching. They have pale grey bark. The plant grows as a shrub or small tree. Often in the shade of larger trees. It is slow-growing and long-lived. Some individuals are estimated to be over a century old. A plant that takes its time. The berries are eaten by birds. They disperse the seeds. The fruit is not palatable to humans. But it is an important food source for native birds in the forest understorey. A plant that feeds the birds. Even if it repels the people. The Māori name Hūpiro means stinking or foul-smelling. A direct reference to the plant's most notable feature. Despite its unpleasant smell, the plant has value in the forest ecosystem. It provides food for birds. Shelter for insects. In Māori tradition, hūpiro was known for its strong, unpleasant smell. The smell was said to be offensive to the atua (gods) of the forest. The plant had few uses because of its smell. But it was sometimes used as a repellent. The leaves were occasionally used in medicines. Despite their odour. The plant was respected for its ability to deter browsing animals. Its presence in the forest was noted as a sign of undisturbed understorey.