''Astelia nervosa'', also known as mountain astelia or, along with a number of other species, as bush flax, is a

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

plant native to New Zealand. ''A. nervosa'' has long, flexible, leathery leaves that are light green and grey in colour. The flowers are light brown to red in colour. The mature fruits are generally orange. It is found in lowland to low alpine areas from the southern

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

south to

Stewart Island Stewart Island ( mi, Rakiura, ' glowing skies', officially Stewart Island / Rakiura) is New Zealand's third-largest island, located south of the South Island, across the Foveaux Strait. It is a roughly triangular island with a total land ar ...

References

Asteliaceae Flora of New Zealand Taxa named by Joseph Dalton Hooker {{Asparagales-stub