Gahnia grandis

Botanical Name: Gahnia grandis
Common Name: Cutting grass
Family: Cyperaceae

Size: 1.5-2.5m H x 2-3m W
Leaves: 2.5m long, narrow, channelled, rough and very sharp-edged
Flowers: Panicles, black 50-100cm long. Upper flower bisexual, lower flower sterile or male.
Flowering Time: October-January
Fruit: Nut about 0.3cm long, dark reddish-brown, prominently displayed.

Habitat/distribution: Robust, densely tufted perennial. Heaths and margins of forest and marsh lands. Grows in road cuttings and ditches. Near sea level up to 900metres in altitude.
Where to See: Common in Tamar Valley. Throughout Tasmania except the Midlands and the North East.
Other notes: Also Vic., and NSW..