Arthropodium cirratum
Arthropodium cirratum is an herbaceous perennial plant endemic to New Zealand where it may once have been farmed. It occurs naturally north of Greymouth and Kaikoura near the sea and, as the name New Zealand rock lily suggests usually on rocks.
It is an attractive lily, with long and fleshy leaves 30–60 cm by 3–10 cm. From November to January panicles of white to cream flowers with a touch of mauve appear, held well above the leaves. The flower stalk often reaches one metre, and bears many white six-petalled flowers, in groups of two or three, each about 2 cm across. The stamens are tricoloured - purple and white, with yellow at the curled end.
The rhizomes from which grows the leaves and flower stems can be found throughout the year and these were once eaten by Maori after being cooked in a hangi. William Colenso (botanist 1811-1899) believed that this plant was once cultivated by them because the plant grows much larger under cultivation than it usually does in the wild and it was often found near old deserted Maori homes and plantations. However, he lists it as only fourteenth in importance in his list of eighteen kinds of wild vegetable food used by the Maori.
It was used for medicine as well as food and has symbolic importance in traditional Maori culture.
It is grown as an ornamental plant in shady or partly shady areas as a massed planted ground cover and when all plants are in flower it is a tremendous show. It is however frost tender in Canterbury and southwards although it will become semi deciduous and grow again in spring after mild frosts.
The Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture has an article by the Late Graham Harris on its relevance to Maori. You can access it here.http://www.rnzih.org.nz/pages/arthropodium.htm
Just released in 2019 is a very well striped variegated form Arthropoidium cirratum ’Golden Fountain’ It is protected by Plant Varieties Act and described as “A stunning new form of Rengarenga Lily featuring elegant cream and cyan green variegated leaves. The beautiful thick strappy leaves make a stunning statement in a pot or along a shady walk way. Stems of white flowers appear in spring adding to the effect.” Photo in Gallery above is from this website.
http://www.enrichwithnature.co.nz/Plants/Plant.cshtml?plant_id=859
A number of cultivars were evaluated at the Auckland Botanic Gardens and the results published here.
http://www.aucklandbotanicgardens.co.nz/science/research/articles/rengarengas-for-auckland/
Arthropodium bifurcatum has been described as a separate species but as has been offered for many years through the nursery industry it is likely offered as Arthopodium cirratum ‘Matapouri Bay’ or A.cirratum ‘White Knight’.
It is an attractive lily, with long and fleshy leaves 30–60 cm by 3–10 cm. From November to January panicles of white to cream flowers with a touch of mauve appear, held well above the leaves. The flower stalk often reaches one metre, and bears many white six-petalled flowers, in groups of two or three, each about 2 cm across. The stamens are tricoloured - purple and white, with yellow at the curled end.
The rhizomes from which grows the leaves and flower stems can be found throughout the year and these were once eaten by Maori after being cooked in a hangi. William Colenso (botanist 1811-1899) believed that this plant was once cultivated by them because the plant grows much larger under cultivation than it usually does in the wild and it was often found near old deserted Maori homes and plantations. However, he lists it as only fourteenth in importance in his list of eighteen kinds of wild vegetable food used by the Maori.
It was used for medicine as well as food and has symbolic importance in traditional Maori culture.
It is grown as an ornamental plant in shady or partly shady areas as a massed planted ground cover and when all plants are in flower it is a tremendous show. It is however frost tender in Canterbury and southwards although it will become semi deciduous and grow again in spring after mild frosts.
The Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture has an article by the Late Graham Harris on its relevance to Maori. You can access it here.http://www.rnzih.org.nz/pages/arthropodium.htm
Just released in 2019 is a very well striped variegated form Arthropoidium cirratum ’Golden Fountain’ It is protected by Plant Varieties Act and described as “A stunning new form of Rengarenga Lily featuring elegant cream and cyan green variegated leaves. The beautiful thick strappy leaves make a stunning statement in a pot or along a shady walk way. Stems of white flowers appear in spring adding to the effect.” Photo in Gallery above is from this website.
http://www.enrichwithnature.co.nz/Plants/Plant.cshtml?plant_id=859
A number of cultivars were evaluated at the Auckland Botanic Gardens and the results published here.
http://www.aucklandbotanicgardens.co.nz/science/research/articles/rengarengas-for-auckland/
Arthropodium bifurcatum has been described as a separate species but as has been offered for many years through the nursery industry it is likely offered as Arthopodium cirratum ‘Matapouri Bay’ or A.cirratum ‘White Knight’.
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