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Tupurupuru

Cultivar No		2
Source		Gisborne, East Coast. Tupurupuru was a chief of Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki and lived about 12 km inland from Gisborne.
Description		Medium to tall in height, slightly bendy. Leaves dull olive green, soft, but strong. Chocolate-coloured margin and keel. 4–8 cm of brownish smudging at the tips of the young blades (Anderson, 1907, suggests "for the length of a fingerî). Tall, pointed seed pods.
Notes		Known as Tarariki in Taranaki District.
Uses		Ordinary purposes, kete, whāriki. The long blades are suitable for whāriki if just dragged through boiling water, not boiled.
Muka extraction		Medium amount of muka and para removes easily.
Raranga - unboiled		Rather narrow leaves producing long whenu. Soft and pliable. Whenu are smooth and slippery. So hard to keep tension. Could be good whāriki flax.

Information sources:

Rene Orchiston

Katarina Tawiri

Rob Smissen

Sue Scheele