- Toetoe
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Toetoe clump and plumes
Toetoe (commonly misspelt as toitoi)[1] are four species of tall grasses native to New Zealand and members of the Cortaderia genus. The species are C. toetoe, C. fulvida, C. splendens and C. richardii. The name toetoe comes from the Māori language.
Two closely related South America species of Cortaderia, C. jubata and C. selloana (Pampas Grass), have been introduced to New Zealand and are often mistaken for toetoe. These introduced species tend to take over from the native toetoe and are regarded as invasive weeds. Among the differences between Pampas, Toetoe has a drooping flower head, a cream coloured plume and the leaves do not break when tugged firmly.[1]
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Common uses
The Māori used the toetoe leaves to make baskets, kites, mats, wall linings and roof thatching. It was also used to make containers to cook food in hot springs. The flower stalks were also useful - as frames for kites, and in tukutuku panelling. The seed heads themselves were used on fresh wounds to stop bleeding. Other medicinal uses included treatment of diarrhoea, kidney complaints, and burns. Toetoe is New Zealand's largest native grass, growing in clumps up to 3m in height.
Common names
Māori names including toetoe are: toetoe-kākaho, toetoe-mokoro, toetoe-rākau. The flower stem is kākaho[1]
Toetoe is also known by its common name 'Cutty grass', especially amongst children, because the serrated leaf edges that can inflict cuts to the human skin. This name is also used in New Zealand to refer to Gahnia setifola (mapere).
Species
- Cortaderia fulvida
- Cortaderia richardii
- Cortaderia splendens
- Cortaderia toetoe
References
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