Toetoe are four species of tall grasses

Poaceae

The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...

 native to New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 and members of the Cortaderia

Cortaderia

Cortaderia is a genus of 20-25 species of grasses in the family Poaceae. Members of the genus are native to South America , New Zealand and New Guinea . The name of the genus is derived from the Argentine Spanish word cortadera, which in turn refers to the sharp serrations on the leaves....

genus. The species are C. toetoe, C. fulvida, C. splendens and C. richardii. The name toetoe comes from the Māori language

Maori language

Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...

.

Two closely related South America species of Cortaderia, C. jubata

Cortaderia jubata

Cortaderia jubata is a species of grass known by several common names, including Purple pampas grass and Andean pampas grass. It is similar to its more widespread relative, the Pampas Grass C...

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

Invasive species

"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....

. Among the differences between Pampas, Toetoe has a drooping flower head, a cream coloured plume and the leaves do not break when tugged firmly.

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

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

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 to refer to Gahnia setifola (mapere).

Species

• Cortaderia fulvida
• Cortaderia richardii
• Cortaderia splendens
• Cortaderia toetoe