About Cyperus ustulatus A.Rich.
Cyperus ustulatus A.Rich., commonly called giant umbrella-sedge or coastal cutty grass, is a species of sedge native to New Zealand. It grows primarily in coastal or lowland areas near water, located in the North Island and on the Kermadec Islands. This sedge has wide, shiny, folded leaves. After flowering in summer, it produces long, dark brown seed heads, which are held by a cluster of leaves at the top of the plant. Its Māori name is toetoe upoko-tangata; the standalone term toetoe generally refers to Austroderia, a genus in the grass family Poaceae that is unrelated to this species. Alongside cattails (Typha orientalis, known as raupō in Māori), Cyperus ustulatus was used as a material for traditional Māori kite-making.
