Common Name

Desert Saw-sedge

Family

Cyperaceae

Notes

Perennial sedge to 30cm tall.  Leaves basal and alternating up the stems, with a brown sheath (white woolly at its top) at the base.  Leaves erect, thread-like, shorter than or equalling the flower stems, channelled, hairless, with a sharp point.  Spikelets grey brown to black, 3-4mm long, with 0 petals, arranged like long spikes at the tops of the flower stems, each section of the inflorescence subtended by a leaf-like bract. Grows on sand hills in mallee communities.

Description and photo in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales pages 167-168

PlantNET description:   http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Gahnia~lanigera

Photo of plant. Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Murray Fagg, Nuytsland Nature Reserve, WA