tufts up in seasonally flooded wetlands
- Size
- Height: 40–80 cm
- Lifespan
- 5–10 years
- Diet
- Not applicable as this is a rush. Photosynthetic. Absorbs nutrients through roots. Tolerates seasonal flooding and waterlogged soils.
- Habitat
- Wetlands, damp grassland, stream banks, lake margins and coastal areas. Prefers moist, fertile soils with full sun. Tolerates seasonal flooding and waterlogged soils.
- Range
- Throughout New Zealand from Northland to Stewart Island. Most common in wetlands, damp grassland and coastal areas.
- Endemism
- Endemic
- Main Threats
- Habitat loss from wetland drainage is the primary threat. Water pollution and degradation. Climate change affects wetland habitats.
- Population
- Populations are considered stable and widespread. The species is common in wetlands throughout New Zealand. It is threatened by ongoing wetland drainage. Protection of wetlands is important.
- Conservation Status
- Not Threatened
- Human Risk
- caution
- Handling Note
- sharp sedge leaves cause skin lacerations, wear long pants when walking through
- Conservation Note
- Endemic rush; widespread in wetlands and coastal areas throughout New Zealand.
- Assessment
- NZTCS Vascular Plants (2023)
- Te Ao Māori
- In Māori tradition, wīwī was valued for its tough, flexible stems. The stems were used for weaving floor coverings (whāriki), baskets (kete) and fish traps (hīnaki). The dried stems were used as torches (rama). The name wīwī refers to the wiry, twisted stems. Wīwī was an important resource for wetland-dwelling iwi. A plant of the swamps. Gathered by those who knew the waterlogged places. A resource from the wetlands.
Stems are wiry and twisted. Wīwī is a native rush with dark green, cylindrical stems. They are tough and flexible. It forms dense clumps in wetlands and damp grassland. The stems have a distinctive texture. The seed heads are reddish-brown. They appear in summer.
The stems have no leaves. Only a basal sheath exists. The photosynthesis happens in the green stems. The plant is wind-pollinated. The seeds are dispersed by wind and water.
Wīwī is common in wetlands, damp grassland, and coastal areas throughout New Zealand. It is often found in the same habitats as pukio and oioi. These form mixed communities of rushes and sedges.
The plant provides important habitat for wetland birds. The dense clumps offer shelter and nesting sites. The stems are used by birds as perches. They are also used as material for nest building.
To find wīwī is to walk the edges of wetlands and streams. Look for the dense clumps of dark green, wiry stems. The stems are tough and springy underfoot. It is a plant of the damp places. A survivor of the wet ground. The wiry stems twist in the wind. A sign that the wetlands are healthy.
It does not ask for much. Just water and space. And it takes both.