Gahnia lanigera
Species of sedge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gahnia lanigera, also known as the black grass saw-sedge, desert saw-sedge or little saw-sedge, is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family that is found in southern Australia. The specific epithet lanigera means 'woolly'.
| Gahnia lanigera | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Cyperaceae |
| Genus: | Gahnia |
| Species: | G. lanigera |
| Binomial name | |
| Gahnia lanigera | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Description
The plant is a rhizomatous, tufted perennial sedge growing up to 45 cm high and 2 m wide, with stiff, narrow, sharp-pointed leaves. The flowers are brown.[1][2] It is a favoured food plant of Antipodia atralba, the black and white skipper butterfly.[3]
Distribution and habitat
The species occurs in arid parts of southern Western Australia, South Australia, north-western Victoria and western New South Wales where it is found on sandy soils in mallee woodland and heathland, as well as on clayey or granitic loams and coastal dunes.[1][2]
