Complex sentence: For centuries, Māori had collected the abundant nectar from the flowers to make a crude honey and to generally sweeten foods, but it was the myriad of medicinal uses that made the plant so important to the everyday health of Māori.
Split into simpler sentences: For centuries, Māori had collected the abundant nectar from the flowers to make a crude honey and to generally sweeten foods. Myriad medicinal uses that made the plant even more important to the everyday health of Māori.