#austroderia

AKA Cortaderia richardii. Arundo richardii, Arundo kakao, Arundo australis and Gynerium zeelandicum.

And elegant grass up to 3m tall, named after French botanist, doctor and botanical illustrator Achille Richard (1794 – 1852) who wrote up various NZ plants collected on the Astrolabe Expedition in the late 1820s.

Endemic to the South Island, growing in wet habitat from the coast to the lower parts of the mountains. Accidentally introduced to Tasmanisa, where it is now naturalised.

AKA Arundo fulvida, and Cortaderia fulvida. Māori names for the various varieties include: toetoe-kākaho, toetoe-mokoro, and toetoe-rākau. The flower stem is named kākaho. Toetoe is also known as 'cutty grass' because the serrated leaf edges can cut the skin, but that common name is also used in New Zealand to refer to Gahnia setifola, Cyperus ustulatus and Carex geminata, which are also fairly bloodthirsty.

Toetoe is New Zealand's largest native grass, growing in clumps over 3m in height, on both islands, although Austroderia splendens predominates near the coasts. North of Auckland, the Northland Race form of Austroderia fulvida might prove to be sixth species.

Despite that first scientific name, not particularly closely related to the Giant Canes (Arundo sp.), but it is closely related to the Pampas Grasses of South America (Cortaderia). In fact, Austroderia fulvida and the other four species in the genus used to in the same genus as the Pampas Grasses, until 2011 - a change first suggested in 1853. Unfortunately both Pampas Grass species are invasive weeds in New Zealand.

The Māori used the leaves to make baskets, kites, mats, wall linings and roof thatching. It was also used to make containers to cook food in hot springs. The flower stalks were made into frames for kites, and in tukutuku panelling. The seed heads themselves were used on fresh wounds to stop bleeding, among other uses. Other medicinal uses included treatment of diarrhoea, kidney complaints, and burns.

Easily propagated - too easily, in fact. In some parts of New Zealand it's been grown so extensively it's a threat to the local species of Austroderia.