Additional notes (click to expand)

Medicinal

None

Nomenclature

Previously identified as Phormium tenax, a visitor recognised it by its yellow green flowers and pendulous twisted seed pods as being Phormium cookianum. Phormium tenax has red flowers and upright seed pods. However Kew have recently changed the name on the basis of priority to Phormium colensoi (named after the Rev. William Colenso printer to the Missionary Society who helped J D Hooker with his flora of New Zealand) as this name was validly published (but overlooked) on January 1 1848, and it was only given the name Phormium cookianum (named for Captain Cook) a few months later in the same year. Ours appears to be the lowland form from North Island with yellow-green tepals whereas the mountain form from South Island has red tepals.
World Checklist of selected plant families on line https://wcsp.science.kew.org/

Geographical distribution

  • Australasia, New Zealand

Phormium tenax

Family: ASPHODELACEAE
Genus: Phormium
Species: tenax
Common names: New Zealand Flax; New Zealand Hemp; Flax Bush; Common Flax Lily
Distribution summary: New Zealand, Norfolk Island
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: H5 - Hardy; cold winter
Garden status: Not currently grown
Reason for growing: Medicinal


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