Plantae > Tracheophyta > Liliopsida > Asparagales > Asparagaceae > Cordyline > Cordyline australisCordyline australis (cabbage tree)Synonyms: Charlwoodia australis (homotypic); Cordyline australis var. atropurpurea; Cordyline australis var. aurea-striata; Cordyline australis var. lineata; Cordyline australis var. veitchii; Cordyline calocoma; Cordyline calocoma f. lentiginosa; Cordyline calocoma f. lineata; Cordyline calocoma f. nutans; Cordyline calocoma f. veitchii; Cordyline forsteri; Cordyline indivisa (heterotypic); Cordyline kirkii; Cordyline lentiginosa; Cordyline lineata; Cordyline lineata var. doucetii; Cordyline lineata var. purpurascens; Cordyline nutans; Cordyline sturmii; Cordyline superbiens; Cordyline veitchii; Dracaena australis (heterotypic); Dracaena chemnitzii; Dracaena doucetii; Dracaena indivisa (heterotypic); Dracaena indivisa var. atropurpurea; Dracaena indivisa var. lineata; Dracaena indivisa var. veitchii; Dracaena lentiginosa; Dracaena lineata; Dracaena nutans; Dracaena parrei; Dracaena terminalis var. stricta; Dracaenopsis australis (homotypic); Dracaenopsis calocoma; Terminalis australis (homotypic) Cordyline australis, commonly known as the cabbage tree, cabbage-palm or tī kōuka, is a widely branched monocot tree endemic to New Zealand. It grows up to 20 metres (66 feet) tall with a stout trunk and sword-like leaves, which are clustered at the tips of the branches and can be up to 1 metre (3.3 feet) long. With its tall, straight trunk and dense, rounded heads, C. australis is a characteristic feature of the New Zealand landscape. Its fruit is a favourite food source for the New Zealand pigeon and other native birds. It is common over a wide latitudinal range from the far north of the North Island at 34° 25'S to the south of the South Island at 46° 30'S. Absent from much of Fiordland, it was probably introduced by Māori to the Chatham Islands at 44° 00'S and to Stewart Island at 46° 5 |
Allergen Potential [1] | Medium-Low | | Edible [2] | May be edible. See the Plants For A Future link below for details. | Flower Type [2] | Hermaphrodite | Leaf Type [2] | Evergreen | Lifespan [3] | Perennial | Scent [2] | The roots have a ginger-like smell and taste. | Structure [2] | Tree | Usage [2] | The leaves contain saponins, but not in commercial quantities;
The leaves contain a strong fibre, used for making paper, twine, cloth, baskets, thatching, rain capes etc; The whole leaves would be used for some of these applications. When used for making paper, the leaves are harvested in summer, they are scraped to remove the outer skin and are then soaked in water for 24 hours prior to cooking; | | Height [2] | 49 feet (15 m) | Width [2] | 16.4 feet (5 m) | View Plants For A Future Record : Cordyline australis |
Species taxanomy provided by GBIF Secretariat (2022). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-06-13; License: CC BY 4.0
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