CYPERACEAE

Thatch Saw-sedge

 

40-110cm 

Many clustered flowers in a dense, bristly, black flowerhead up to 60cm long. 

Nut 

Loosely tufted plant with hollow stems, round in cross-section. 

Break O'Day; Brighton; Clarence; Dorset; Flinders Island; Glamorgan-Spring Bay; Glenorchy; Hobart; Huon Valley; Kingborough; Latrobe; Northern Midlands; Southern Midlands; Tasman; West Tamar 

 

In coastal areas, including sandy heaths, coastal scrub and woodland, and the edges of swamps. 

 

 

 

Very difficult to grow from seed, and sets little seed. Division of Gahnia spp. tends to have little success. The nuts can be pounded and ground into flour to make flatbreads. Traditionally, the leaves were split, left to dry and stored. After dampening, the leaves were then woven into baskets and dillies. Attracts butterflies, including the endangered Chaostola Skipper (Antipodia chaostola leucophaea), the Flame Skipper (Hesperilla idothea) and Donnysa Skipper (Hesperilla donnysa delos), which lay their eggs on the leaves and feed on the pollen. Suitable below powerlines. 

Nut 2mm long, white to brown and egg-shaped. Most of the seed will remain held in the seedhead for at least a month. Cut the seedheads with secateurs and allow to dry, then vigorously thresh against a hard surface to extract seed.