Ngā Rauropi Whakaoranga

Tapamangu

Harakeke cultivar. Medium height, straight, narrow, strong pale green blades. Black margin and keel. Very seldom flowers. A superior variety, always grown on the East Coast. Seiferts Superior (SS) - a variety once widely used by flaxmills round Foxton - was propagated from this plant. Most fibre per width of blade of any flaxes tested by Mrs. Orchiston.

Very good piupiu flax. Although not as long as some it strips very easily and cleanly into strong shiny fibre. Dries very hard to a very pale cream. Strips tested for kits dried very white when boiled for one minute. Unboiled, strips dried to a pale greenish cream. Some women in the Urewera used the soft, shiny fibre of the young blades for a very fine baby shawl. Fibre also used to hold necklaces (tiki, etc.) An important industrial flax.