Cladium jamaicense

Native to Florida

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The aptly named saw-grass is a large sedge, the dominant plant of the Everglades. It also occurs throughout the southeastern U.S. growing in fresh- and brackish-water wetlands where it provides food and shelter to water birds and other animals (Kartesz, 1999). Two species of Cladium exist in Florida (Wunderlin, 2003).

Saw-grass is a large sedge. From rhizomes; stems hollow, 4-10 ft. tall, 3-angled but not sharply so; leaf blades large, stiff, from thebase, flat to V-shaped, relatively narrow, to 3/4 in. wide, to more than 3 ft. long, margins and underside midribs have small sharp sawteeth, inflorescence large, tall, complex, often extending several feet above the leaves, branches and branchlets numerous; spikelets light reddish brown; nutlet a tiny wrinkled ovoid.