A short 1876 natural-history sketch of New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax), describing its appearance, range and habitat. It covers Maori uses of the plant, including stripping fibre with a mussel shell and weaving mats, rugs, garments, baskets, nets, lines and canoe sails. It closes with the unsolved problem of cleaning the fibre by machine and its 1870 use in rope-making.