See text Cordyline is a genus of about 24 species of woody monocotyledonous flowering plants in family Asparagaceae, subfamily Lomandroideae.

The subfamily has previously been treated as a separate family Laxmanniaceae,[2] or Lomandraceae.

The name Cordyline comes from the Greek word kordyle, meaning "club," a reference to the enlarged underground stems or rhizomes.

The rhizome was roasted in an hāngī (earth oven) by Māori to extract sugar.

leaves of Cordyline and other plants are tied to sticks to mark taboo areas where pandanus language must be spoken during karuka harvest.