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 |