tikumu

Tikumu is not so commonly used by weavers today, but was once a special resource for some purposes, particularly in the South Island. The silvery underside (tomentum) was peeled from the leaves of large mountain daisies and attached in rows to a whītau (fibre) kaupapa (underlay) to create a raincape. The soft white down was also worked into the whītau to make a garment waterproof. The leaves were packed into leggings and shin protectors for warmth and to guard against thorny plants. The early colonists used the down as a wound dressing. [https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/tools-and-resources/collections/new-zealand-flax-collections/weaving-plants/tikumu/ cited 21 Aug 2023]