New Zealand flax describes the common New Zealand perennial plants Phormium tenax and Phormium colensoi, known by the Māori names harakeke and wharariki respectively. They are, in fact, not of the flax family at all, rather being given the common name 'flax' because its fibres were similar to that of true flax found in other parts of the world. Though we still call it flax today, harakeke is really a lily. It is unique to New Zealand and is one of our oldest plant species.