Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Ribbonwood \Rib"bon*wood`\, n. (Bot.)
   A malvaceous tree ({Hoheria populnea}) of New Zealand, the
   bark of which is used for cordage.

Source : WordNet®

ribbonwood
     n 1: deciduous New Zealand tree whose inner bark yields a strong
          fiber that resembles flax and is called New Zealand
          cotton [syn: {ribbon tree}, {Plagianthus regius}, {Plagianthus
          betulinus}]
     2: small tree or shrub of New Zealand having a profusion of
        axillary clusters of honey-scented paper-white flowers and
        whose bark is used for cordage [syn: {lacebark}, {houhere},
         {Hoheria populnea}]