Cladium mariscus is a species of flowering plant in the
sedge family known by the common names swamp sawgrass,[1]great fen-sedge,[2]saw-sedge or sawtooth sedge. Previously it was known as elk sedge.[3] It is native of temperate Europe and Asia where it grows in
base-rich boggy areas and lakesides. It can be up to 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) tall, and has leaves with hard serrated edges.[4] In the past, it was an important material to build
thatched roofs; harvesting it was an arduous task due to its sharp edges that can cause deep lacerations.[5]
Subspecies
C. m. californicum (S.Watson) Govaerts - California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Texas, Sonora, Coahuila
C. m. intermedium Kük. - Australia, New Caledonia
C. m. jamaicense (Crantz) Kük. - Latin America from Mexico to Argentina; West Indies; southeastern United States from Texas to Delaware; naturalized in tropical Africa and on many oceanic islands including Canary Islands, Madagascar, New Guinea, Hawaii
C. m. mariscus - Europe, northern Asia and North Africa from Ireland and Morocco to Japan, including Germany, Italy, France, Scandinavia, Poland, Balkans, Ukraine, Russia, Siberia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Himalayas, Kazakhstan, China, Korea
References
^USDA, NRCS (n.d.).
"Cladium mariscus". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 17 January 2016.