''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 The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus '' Carex'' wi ...

that is found in southern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The specific

epithet An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...

''lanigera'' means 'woolly'.

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. It is a favoured food plant of '' Antipodia atralba'', the black and white skipper butterfly.

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.

References

lanigera Flora of Western Australia Endemic flora of Australia Flora of South Australia Flora of Victoria (Australia) Flora of New South Wales Plants described in 1810 Poales of Australia {{Cyperaceae-stub