Mountain Flax & X28;Phormium Colensoi& X29; Royalty-Free Stock Photo

Phormium colensoi & x28;syn. Phormium cookianum; mountain flax, lesser New Zealand flax, or wharariki in Māori& x29; is a perennial plant that is native to New Zealand. It is less common than the other Phormium species, P. tenax. The greenish, yellow or orange flowers are followed by twisted seed pods. The leaves are under 2 metres in length while those of P. tenax range from 1 to 3 metres in length. The scape is much shorter than that of P. tenax, rising up to 2 metres in height while that of P. tenax is around 5 metres in height. The colour of the inner tepals is green while the outer tepals are yellow to red. In contrast the tepals of P. tenax are a dull red, with the tips of the inner tepals being less strongly recurved. The capsules of P. colensoi, unlike those of P. tenax are twisted and pendulous, and may be twice as long & x28;up to 20 cm in length& x29;.