Twelve Maori weaving varieties of Phormium were grown at 11 widely separated sites in New Zealand in an experiment involving participation of weavers, teachers, and students. Leaf dieback and leaf appearance during establishment and growth of leaf length and blade width, shoot production, and expansion of plant basal circumference over 4-7 years were recorded. Observations were made on factors, particularly cold, that caused plant damage. Data were analysed to test for site × variety interaction. The sites provided environments ranging from those at Ohakune and Kaiapoi which were lethal for some varieties to that at Auckland which was near optimal for growth. Generally, growth reduction during the cool period of each year was *proportionally greater at sites that overall had the best conditions for growth. Variety growth responses and their susceptibility to cold damage differed and interacted significantly with site conditions. The results are related to varieties in the National New Zealand Flax Collection in respect to their origins and history of use. Recommendations are made for cultivation practices that enhance the production of leaves used for traditional Maori weaving.

Leaves from 12 varieties of Phormium grown at 10 sites in New Zealand were harvested by a standardised procedure used by Maori when gathering material for the preparation of extracted fibre (muka) for weaving and strips for plaiting (raranga) and making swinging skirts (piupiu). The length, width, thickness, and blade and butt weights of the harvested leaves were measured. Significant differences in leaf traits between varieties were shown for all 19 characters derived from these measurements. Cluster and principal components analysis defined five groups of varieties with the low stature variety Oue clearly distinct from all other varieties. Application of a genotype × environment model to six of the varieties indicated that they responded differently in changes of their leaf characters in response to the environments of the 10 sites. For the most part this arose from varietal differences in the relative responses of leaf characters to the gradient of improved growth conditions across sites, Paoa having a response distinctly different from the other varieties. Examination of allometric relationships between leaf dimensions showed that variation of leaf size caused by growth conditions at the sites influenced leaf shape and blade-and butt-weight partitioning ratios. Patterns of variation of the leaf B05015; characters are related to assessments made by weavers when choosing leaves for different weaving and plaiting uses and to the taxonomic classification of Phormium varieties.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract