DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

Te Ao Hou, Spring 1952, Page 41

DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT The Leaf The flax plant belongs to the lily family, and this accounts for the similarity in shape between the leaves of the flax and the leek, which is also a member of the lily family. Towering up to ten feet in height, the leaves are sword-like in

shape. That portion of the leaf struck by the sunlight is usually of a glossy green colour, and that part which is not, is of a whitish green. The edge of the blade is always bordered by a thin line of reddish-brown, which is a valuable aid to identifying the numerous varieties of flax. Some leaves are more pointed than others and some are differently coloured, here being two more identification aids. Fibres are not all of the same texture. Flax that grows on hilltops and slopes (Phormium Colensoi) has more brittle and coarser fibres than that growing in swamps. This variation in texture is an important fact to consider, when dealing with plaiting and weaving. The Roots and Rhizome The roots are very lengthy, reddish-brown in colour towards the rhizome, and orange nearer the ends. Fairly smooth in structure, the main roots have numerous small depressions on the outer skin, and when squeezed feel spongy to the touch. The rootlets running off do not conform to a set pattern, but appear more or less alternately around the root. The rhizome from which the renowned harakeke medicine is made is covered with myriads of tiny hair roots which attach themselves very securely to the surrounding soil. To cut the rhizome into pieces one has to use an axe or saw, as it consists of a hard, stringy wood-like material. The Flower The Phomium Tenax blossoms from November to January, and the flowers are dull red or yellow in colour. Sometimes—about December —the dull red changes to a beautiful, bright blood-red. The korari, or stalk, at this time of the year is of a purplish colour and the flower spikes appear on alternate sides of it. From January onwards the flower begins to lose its petals, and gives way to a banana-like seed-box, which contains the tiny black seeds. This seed-box is at first a lustrous purple in colour, but later becomes a deep, shiny black, which in turn changes to brown. At the base of the flower is the sweet nectar, which attracts the nectar-eating birds such as the tui and the bell-bird, and in this way the plant is cross-fertilised.