What’s in a name – identical harake varieties in the Orchiston Collection
Manaaki Whenua is kaitiaki of a collection of traditional weaving varieties of harakeke (NZ flax, Phormium spp.) donated by Rene Orchiston of Gisborne.
The 50 harakeke were selected long ago from natural stands and cultivated by Māori weavers for their special leaf and fibre properties. There are varieties specially suited to making kete, whāriki, piupiu and cloaks and divisions of the harakeke are distributed on request to marae, schools, weavers and community groups wishing to establish a weaving resource.
As part of the assessment of harakeke in the National Collection, and to enable screening for yellow-leaf disease, Manaaki Whenua staff have carried out DNA fingerprinting of all the varieties. Most of the plants in the Orchiston Collection are unique varieties, but several groups with identical genetic makeup were identified. These plants are either close kin (originally from the same geographical area or wild population) or vegetative clones (divisions) of the same parent plant.
Researcher Sue Scheele says Manaaki Whenua staff have long been aware that several of the harakeke within the Orchiston Collection are very similar to each other. The leaves and bushes have the same colourings and form, and the special qualities are consistent, whether for raranga or muka/whītau. They do, however, have different names and have been collected from different places.
It’s interesting reading the old accounts of harakeke cultivation, such as the 1870s reports of the Flax Commissioners, who travelled New Zealand collecting any information about harakeke that could help in establishing a commercial flax industry. Many of the cultivars listed in these early accounts are not described in detail, making it mostly unfeasible to reliably match the name with existing cultivars, even though many of the names are still in use.
Information on where Rene Orchiston collected the 50 cultivars in her collection is mostly limited to region, rather than to a specific person or hapū. And because weavers have always exchanged desirable harakeke selections, we cannot be sure of the original provenance of the plants.
This raises interesting questions on just when and how the flaxes were spread throughout New Zealand in times gone by.
Meanwhile, modern technology is making it easier for weavers and other people interested in harakeke to keep up to date with research and other happenings. The establishment of a Facebook web page offers a platform for people living in Polynesia to share their knowledge of textile plants. It is a place where weavers, artists, teachers, scientists, film makers and all enthusiasts of Māori and Polynesian textiles can meet and connect.