Species 11 or 12, chiefly Australian, but found also in New Zealand, Polynesia, tropical Asia, and the Mascarene Islands. The single New Zealand species extends to Norfolk Island and several parts of Polynesia.
1. D. intermedia, Endl. Prodr. Fl. Ins. Norfolc. 28.—Rhizome stout, woody, creeping, usually with underground runners. Leaves numerous, crowded at the top of the rhizome, distichous and sheathing at the base, 1½–3 ft. long or more, ½–¾ in. wide, narrow linear-ensiform, acute or acuminate, keeled, margins and keel minutely scabrid. Panicle 6–24 in. long, much branched; peduncles and pedicels slender, the latter curved. Flowers small, ¼–⅓ in. diam., greenish or purplish - white. Perianth-segments oblong, spreading; the 3 outer usually 5–6-nerved; the 3 inner rather broader, 3-nerved. Filaments expanded into a yellow or orange struma often thicker than the anther; anther linear-oblong, yellow. Berry ½–¾ in. long, broadly oblong, bright-blue.—A. Cunn. Precur. n. 300; Raoul, Choix, 40; Hook. f. Fl Nov. Zel. i. 255; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 283. D. nigra, Col. in. Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi. (1884) 339. D. reflexa, Col. l.c. xxvii. (1895) 396.
North and South Islands: From the Three Kings Islands and the North Cape to Foveaux Strait, abundant. Sea level to 2500 ft. Turutu. November–December.
6. PHORMIUM, Forst.
Tall rigid and coriaceous herbs. Rhizome short, stout, branched, with thick and fleshy perpendicular rootlets. Leaves all radical, long, linear-ensiform, equitant and distichous, exceedingly tough and coriaceous. Flowering stem or scape tall, leafless, with alternate bracteate branches at the top; bracts caducous. Flowers pedicelled on the branches of a terminal panicle, dull-red or yellow; pedicels jointed. Perianth tubular, curved; segments 6, connate at the base, free but connivent above; the 3 outer lanceolate, erect, acute; the 3 inner rather longer, with spreading tips. Stamens 6, inserted at the base of the segments and longer than them; filaments filiform; anthers linear-oblong. Ovary sessile, oblong, obtusely trigonous, 3-celled; style slender, equalling or exceeding the stamens, declinate; stigma small, capitate; ovules numerous in each cell. Capsule subcoriaceous or almost membranous, oblong or linear, trigonous or almost terete, straight or twisted, loculicidally 3-valved. Seeds many, oblong, greatly compressed; testa black, shining.
Phormium, or the "New Zealand flax," is a very remarkable genus of 2 species, confined to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. Its value as producing one of the strongest and most durable fibres of the vegetable kingdom is too well known to require recapitulation here.
| Leaves 3–9 ft, dark-green, glaucous beneath; margins usually bordered with a coloured line. Flowers dull-red. Capsule short, erect or inclined, trigonous, 2–4 in. long | 1. P. tenax. |
