Gahnia filum explained

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, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.^[1]

The caterpillar of the yellow sedge-skipper butterfly uses this species for shelter during daylight hours, binding the leaves with silk. By night it feeds on the grass.^[2] Ghania is being planted at Aldinga Washpool in South Australia in order to provided habitat for the endangered butterfly.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Gahnia filum (Labill.) F.Muell. . Electronic Flora of South Australia Fact Sheet . State Herbarium of South Australia .
2. Web site: Hesperilla flavescens . Herbison-Evans, Don . Stella Crossley . Caterpillars: especially Australian ones . 2008-05-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070905181950/http://www-staff.it.uts.edu.au/~don/larvae/hesp/flave.html . September 5, 2007 .
3. Web site: Nielsen . Ben . Volunteers rejuvenating culturally significant Aldinga Washpool Lagoon now want it protected . ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 15 November 2020 . 15 November 2020.