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Species
Phormium tenax J.R. & G. Forst.
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
Phormium tenax (harakeke in Māori, New Zealand flax) is an evergreen perennial plant native to New Zealand and Norfolk Island that is an important fibre plant and a popular ornamental plant.[1] The plant grows as a clump of long, straplike leaves, up to two meters long, from which arises a much taller flowering shoot, with dramatic yellow or red flowers.[1]
The fibre has been widely used since the arrival of Māori to New Zealand, originally in Māori traditional textiles and also in rope and sail making[2] after the arrival of Europeans up until at least WWII.
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Ecology
The jumping spider Trite planiceps lives predominantly in the rolled-up leaves of this species. Phormium tenax is a coastal cover plant associated with significant habitat such as the breeding habitat for the endangered Yellow-eyed Penguin.[3]
Cultivars
Several forms of this species have been selected for cultivation as decorative garden plants including:[4]
- 'Bronze Baby' - arching bronze leaves, 2-to-3-foot (0.61 to 0.91 m) plant.
- 'Dazzler' - arching leaves that are bronze-maroon with red and pink stripes, plant reaches 3 feet in height.
- 'Sundrowner' - 6-foot-tall (1.8 m) plant, leaves are striped with bronze, green and rose-pink.
See also
- Phormium, covering both species
- Māori traditional textiles
References
- ^ a b Roger Holmes and Lance Walheim. 2005. California Home Landscaping, Creative Homeowner Press ISBN 9781580112543
- ^ http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-Gov09_02Rail-t1-body-d7-d2.html
- ^ C. Michael Hogan. 2009. Yellow-eyed Penguin: Megadypes antipodes, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg
- ^ Frances Tenenbaum. 2003. "Taylor's Encyclopedia of Garden Plants", Houghton Mifflin Company ISBN 0618226443
Further reading
- James Hector. 1889. Phormium tenax as a fibrous plant, second edition, New Zealand. Geological Survey Dept, New Zealand, published by G. Didsbury, Government Printer, 95 pages
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Wikipedia |
Source | http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phormium_tenax&oldid=427905191 |
United States
Origin: Exotic
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Unknown/Undetermined
Confidence: Confident
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Phormium+tenax |
Chile Central
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Pablo Gutierrez, IABIN |
Source | No source database. |
In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / saprobe
Coniothyrium coelomycetous anamorph of Coniothyrium phormii is saprobic on leaf of Phormium tenax
Foodplant / saprobe
pycnidium of Hendersonia coelomycetous anamorph of Hendersonia phormii is saprobic on dead Phormium tenax
Foodplant / saprobe
Rhodesiopsis coelomycetous anamorph of Rhodesiopsis gelatinosa is saprobic on live Phormium tenax
Foodplant / sap sucker
Trionymus diminutus sucks sap of live leaf base of Phormium tenax
Remarks: season: 1-12
Other: major host/prey
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | BioImages, BioImages - the Virtual Fieldguide (UK) |
Source | http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/Phormium_tenax.htm |
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 5
Specimens with Barcodes: 5
Species With Barcodes: 1
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Phormium+tenax |
Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Phormium+tenax |