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Phormium tenax
A tui on a stalk of P. tenax flowers.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Hemerocallidaceae
Genus:	Phormium
Species:	P. tenax
Binomial name
Phormium tenax J.R.Forst.. & G.Forst.

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]

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.^[2]

Cultivars

Several forms of this species have been selected for cultivation including:^[3]

• 'Bronze Baby' - arching bronze leaves, 2 to 3 foot plant.
• 'Dazzler' - arching leaves that are bronze-maroon with red and pink stripes, plant reaches 3 feet in height.
• 'Sundrowner' - 6 foot tall plant, leaves are striped with bronze, green and rose-pink.

References

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

From Wikispecies

Taxonavigation

Classification System: APG II (down to family level)

Main Page
Cladus: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiospermae
Cladus: Monocots
Ordo: Asparagales
Familia: Hemerocallidaceae
Genus: Phormium
Species: Phormium tenax

Name

Phormium tenax J.R.Forst. & G.Forst., Char. Gen. Pl. 48, t. 24. 1776.

Synonyms

• Chlamydia tenacissima Gaertn., Fruct. sem. pl. vol. 1, 71. t. 18. 1788.
• Phormium alpinum Hort. ex Wien. Ill. Gart.-Zeit. 15:448, 1890 nom. inval.
• Phormium atropurpureum Hort., Vilm. Blumengärtn., ed. 3. 1: 1072, in syn. 1895.
• Phormium flaccidum Hort. ex Wien. Ill. Gart.-Zeit. 15:448, 1890 nom. inval.
• Phormium hursthonsii Hort. ex Wien. Ill. Gart.-Zeit. 15:448, 1890 nom. inval.
• Phormium ramosum Billb., in Linnerska Samfund vol. 1, 1832, 22. 1833.
• Phormium robustum Hort. ex Wien. Ill. Gart.-Zeit. 15:448, 1890 nom. inval.

References

• Landcare Research New Zealand Limited. Flora of New Zealand. 2009 Mar 04 [1].