164 POPULAR ECONOMIC BOTANY. 



New Zealand Flax. Phormium tenax. (Nat. Ord. 

 Liliacea.) 



The Phormium is a coarse-growing plant, inhabiting the 

 marshy places in New Zealand ; it resembles somewhat the 

 common yellow Iris of our ponds in its foliage, which is 

 very long and sword-like. The flowers are borne in large 

 trusses or corymbs ; they are of a brownish-red colour, not 

 very ornamental. The fibre is extracted from the long 

 leaves by drying, maceration, and heckling, as in the in- 

 stance of other similar products. The coarser qualities 

 make good ropes, and very fine linen is manufactured from 

 the finer selected fibres. The quantities imported are at 

 present inconsiderable. 



Gommuti, or Ejow Fibre. Arenga (Saguerus) saccha- 

 rifera. (Nat. Ord. Palmacece.) (Plate IX. fig. 46.) 



This is one those singular productions of the Palm-tribe 

 occasioned by the splitting or decay of the leaf-stalks. After 

 the leaf has decayed the base of the stalk is left clasping 

 the stem; the loose cellular matter of these persistent 

 petioles soon decomposes, and leaves the tough fibres be- 

 hind, often beautifully arranged exactly as when growing ; 

 gradually however they become detached and hang loosely 

 about, giving the stem a very ragged appearance. To the 



