Phormium tenax J.R.Forster & G.Forster, Xanthorrhoeaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 8 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: bush flax, New Zealand flax, New Zealand hemp

Spanish: lino de Nueva Zelanda, lirio de espada

Habit:  herb

Description:  "This species is a perennial rhizomatous herb (to ca 2 m tall) native to New Zealand. The stems are short and stout. The leaves are strap-like, deep green, clump forming and fibrous. The flowers are red and orange, occurring in terminal sprays" (Csurhes and Edwards, 1998; p. 122).

"Plants to 5-6 m tall. Leaves bright orange toward base, stiff, erect, at least in lower part, 100-300 cm long, 5-12 cm wide, margins entire, apex usually splitting. Inflorescences 4-5 m long, peduncles dark brown, 2-3 cm in diameter, glabrous; tepals dull red, 2.5-5 cm long. Capsules dark brown with age, erect, 3-angled, 5-10 cm long, usually falcate, abruptly constricted at apex, not twisted. Seeds elliptic, 9-10 mm long, somewhat twisted" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 1350-1351).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, the species forms dense thickets, principally in gullies in mesic areas below 300 m. (Smith, Alien Plants of Hawai‘i web site).  "In Chile this species grows in the following environmental conditions:  Low altitude, interior valleys; coastal mountains, 500-2000 m; coastal areas, 0-500 m.  Dry, arid areas, with long drought periods of 6-10 months, precipitations of 100 mm-300 mm. are concentrated in winter.  Fully exposed to the sun, level areas or slopes facing north"  (Chileflora).

Propagation:  Discarded plants; seed, distributed by water, wind and possibly birds; rhizomes.

Native range:  New Zealand, Norfolk Island.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	native	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 11) "On grassy slopes and cliffs by the sea". Vouchers cited: R.D. Hoogland 11236 (CANB), R.M. Laing (CHR)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive cultivated	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive cultivated	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (pp. 493, 539, 556) Voucher cited: Danton I(5/349)1694. "En RC, forma matas imponentes por aqui y allá en el pueblo de San Juan Bautista.  Sus flores son visitadas por los picaflores (esencialmente Sephanoides galeritus)".
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced	Wester, Lyndon (1992) (p. 116)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1350-1351)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1350-1351)
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Raoul Island	introduced invasive	Sykes, W. R. (1977) (pp. 153-154) Slightly adventive.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 122) Naturalized in Victora.
Chile (continental) Chile	Chile (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Belov, Michail (2011)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	native	Moore, L. B./ Edgar, E. (1970) (p. 52) "Abundant, especially in lowland swamps and intermittently flooded land".
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 69) Cultivated only

Comments:  A very serious pest on St. Helena (Atlantic Ocean). Also reported to be present on Tristan de Cunha.

Additional information:
Photos and other information from Chileflora.

Additional online information about Phormium tenax is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Phormium tenax as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Phormium tenax may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John. 2011. Naturalized species in the Juan Fernández Archipelago, Chile. Unpublished spreadsheet.

Belov, Michail. 2011. Chileflora (online resource).

Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. 2009. A checklist of the total vascular plant flora of Singapore: native, naturalised and cultivated species. Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore. 273 pp.

Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. 1998. Potential environmental weeds in Australia: Candidate species for preventative control. Canberra, Australia. Biodiversity Group, Environment Australia. 208 pp.

Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido. 2006. Nouveau catalogue de la flore vaculaire de l'archipel Juan Fernández (Chile) [Nuevo catálogo de la flora vacular del Archipélago Juan Fernández (Chile)]. Acta Bot. Gallica 153(4):399-587.

Meyer, Jean-Yves. 2000. Preliminary review of the invasive plants in the Pacific islands (SPREP Member Countries). In: Sherley, G. (tech. ed.). Invasive species in the Pacific: A technical review and draft regional strategy. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Samoa. 190 pp.

Moore, L. B./ Edgar, E. 1970. Flora of New Zealand, vol. II: Indigenous Tracheophyta - Monocotyledons except Graminae. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch. .

Orchard, Anthony E., ed. 1994. Flora of Australia. Vol. 49, Oceanic islands 1. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Sykes, W. R. 1977. Kermadec Islands flora: an annotated checklist. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 219, Wellington. 216 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Wester, Lyndon. 1992. Origin and distribution of adventive flowering plants in Hawai‘i. In: Stone, Charles P.; Smith, Clifford W. and Tunison, J. Timothy. Alien plant invasions in native ecosystems of Hawaii: Management and Research. University of Hawaii, Cooperative National Park Research Studies Unit, Honolulu. University of Hawaii Press. .