Varietal differences and environmental effects on leaves of Phormium harvested for traditional Maori weaving

Abstract

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 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.

Keywords:

• leaf dimensions
• leaf weights
• weaving
• Phormium
• New Zealand flax
• harakeke
• Maori varieties
• site × variety interaction
• allometry