''Gahnia'' (sawsedge, saw-sedge) is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

sedge 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'' ...

s native to China,

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...

, Australia,

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

and a number of Pacific Islands.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> The common name is due to the toothed margins. It often forms tussocks.

Species

Accepted species: *''

Gahnia ancistrophylla ''Gahnia ancistrophylla'', also known as hooked-leaf saw sedge, is a tussock-forming perennial in the family Cyperaceae, that is native to southern parts of Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * ...

'' Benth. – Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria *'' Gahnia aristata'' Benth. – Western Australia *'' Gahnia aspera'' (R.Br.) Spreng. – Maluku, New Guinea, Queensland, New South Wales, Melanesia, Bonin Islands, Hawaii *''

Gahnia australis ''Gahnia australis'' is a tussock-forming perennial in the family Cyperaceae, that is native to southern western parts of Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western perce ...

'' (Nees) K.L.Wilson – Western Australia *'' Gahnia baniensis'' Benl. – Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Vietnam, Borneo, Malaysia, Sumatra *'' Gahnia beecheyi'' H.Mann – forest sawsedge – Hawaii *''

Gahnia clarkei ''Gahnia clarkei'' (also known as tall sawsedge) is a species of evergreen plant from a sedge family that can be found in Australia. The plant is high, with the same width. They grow during summer and have large black to brownish flower A f ...

'' Benl – New Guinea, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria *''

Gahnia decomposita ''Gahnia decomposita'' is a tussock-forming perennial in the family Cyperaceae, that is native to southern parts of Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of ...

'' (R.Br.) Benth. – Western Australia *''

Gahnia deusta ''Gahnia deusta'' is a tussock-forming perennial in the family Cyperaceae, that is native to southern parts of Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Aust ...

'' (R.Br.) Benth. – Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria *'' Gahnia drummondii'' (Steud.) K.L.Wilson – Western Australia *''

Gahnia erythrocarpa ''Gahnia erythrocarpa'' is a leafy sedge, growing up to 2 metres tall. Found in damp areas in forest or woodland in the Sydney district of Australia. This is one of the many plants first published by Robert Brown with the type known as "(J.) v. ...

'' R.Br. – New South Wales *''

Gahnia filifolia ''Gahnia filifolia'' is a tussock-forming perennial in the family Cyperaceae, that is native to central parts of New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales ...

'' (C.Presl) Kük. ex Benl – New South Wales *''

Gahnia filum ''Gahnia filum'', the chaffy saw-sedge, is a tussock-forming perennial in the family Cyperaceae, endemic to Australia. It grows to between 60 and 110 cm in height. The species occurs in coastal salt marsh in the states of New South Wales ...

'' (Labill.) F.Muell.— chaffy sawsedge – Australia, all states except Queensland *'' Gahnia graminifolia'' Rodway – Tasmania *''

Gahnia grandis ''Gahnia grandis'' is a tussock-forming perennial plant found in southeastern mainland Australia and Tasmania. Originally described by botanist Jacques Labillardière as ''Scleria grandis'' in 1800, it was placed in its current genus by S. T. ...

'' (Labill.) S.T.Blake – Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria *'' Gahnia halmaturina'' R.L.Barrett & K.L.Wilson – South Australia *''

Gahnia howeana '' Gahnia howeana '' is a flowering plant in the sedge family. The specific epithet refers to Lord Howe Island, where it is found. It was formerly lumped with ''Gahnia xanthocarpa'', which is now considered to be endemic to New Zealand. Descrip ...

'' R.O.Gardner – Lord Howe Island *''

Gahnia hystrix ''Gahnia hystrix'' is a tussock-forming perennial in the family Cyperaceae, that is native to parts of Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Island, also known as Karta Pintingga (literally 'Island of the Dead' in the language of the Kaurna people), ...

'' J.M.Black – Kangaroo Island *'' Gahnia insignis'' S.T.Blake – Queensland, New South Wales *'' Gahnia javanica'' Moritzi – Yunnan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Philippines, New Guinea, Solomon Islands *'' Gahnia lacera'' (R.Lesson ex A.Rich.) Steud. – Cutty grass – New Zealand North Island *'' Gahnia lanaiensis'' O.Deg., I.Deg. & J.Kern -- Lanaʻi sawsedge – Lanaʻi Island of Hawai'i *'' Gahnia lanigera'' (R.Br.) Benth. – Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales *'' Gahnia marquisensis'' F.Br. – Marquesas *''

Gahnia melanocarpa ''Gahnia melanocarpa'', known as the black fruit saw-sedge, is a tussock forming perennial plant in eastern Australia. Often found in the wetter forests or in rainforest margins, it is common on the coast but also seen in the tablelands. Over ...

'' R.Br. – Black-fruit saw-sedge – Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria *'' Gahnia microcarpa'' Guillaumin – New Caledonia *''

Gahnia microstachya ''Gahnia microstachya'' is a tussock-forming perennial in the family Cyperaceae, that is native to south eastern parts of Australia from New South Wales to Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map ...

'' Benth. – Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania *'' Gahnia novocaledonensis'' Benl – New Caledonia *'' Gahnia pauciflora'' Kirk – Cutting sedge – New Zealand North and South Islands *'' Gahnia procera'' J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. – Mountain sedge – New Zealand North and South Islands *''

Gahnia radula ''Gahnia radula'', commonly known as the thatch saw-sedge is a tufted perennial sedge native to south-eastern Australia. The leaves are long, flat and rough, with sharp edges. It has a distinctive brown inflorescence, which darkens to black. ...

'' (R.Br.) Benth. – Thatch saw-sedge – Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia *''

Gahnia rigida ''Gahnia rigida'' is a tussock-forming perennial in the family Cyperaceae, that is native to parts of New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmass ...

'' Kirk – New Zealand North and South Islands *'' Gahnia schoenoides'' G.Forst. – Society Islands *'' Gahnia sclerioides'' K.L.Wilson – Western Australia *'' Gahnia setifolia'' Hook.f. – Māpere, razor sedge – New Zealand North and South Islands *''

Gahnia sieberiana ''Gahnia sieberiana'', commonly known as the red-fruit saw-sedge, is a tussock-forming perennial plant in the family Cyperaceae, endemic to Australia. It is a widespread plant that favours damp sunny sites. Many insect larvae have been recorded ...

'' Kunth – Red-fruited saw sedge – Australia, New Guinea, Sulawesi, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia *'' Gahnia sinuosa'' J.Raynal – New Caledonia *'' Gahnia subaequiglumis'' S.T.Blake – Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria *'' Gahnia trifida'' Labill. – Coast saw-sedge – Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia *'' Gahnia tristis'' Nees in W.J.Hooker & G.A.W.Arnott – China, Ryukyu Islands, Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo, Malaysia, Sumatra *'' Gahnia vitiensis'' Rendle -- Fijian sawsedge – Fiji, Hawaii *'' Gahnia xanthocarpa'' (Hook.f.) Hook.f. – Māpere, gahnia – New Zealand North and South Islands

Conservation

The species ''Gahnia lanaiensis'' has been known as a rare

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

plant from the

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

an island of Lanai and it was federally listed as an endangered species of the United States. In 2010, however, research suggested that the Lanai plants are actually '' Gahnia lacera'' introduced from

in the early 20th century.Koyama, T. (2010)
On the identity of ''Gahnia lanaiensis'' O. Deg., I. Deg. & J. Kern (Cyperaceae) of Hawai‘i.
''Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2008'' Evenhuis, N. L. and L. G. Eldredge, Eds. ''Bishop Museum Occasional Papers'' 107: 29–32.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q977615 Cyperaceae genera