‘Uti‘uti marks wet ground. Its presence once helped people find freshwater on islands where that knowledge mattered.
- Local names
- ‘Uti’uti (French Polynesia)
- Habitat
- Motu and shore
- Family
- Cyperaceae
- Biogeographical status
- Native
- Life form
- Herbaceous plant
- Abundance
- Common
- Ecosystem
- Around freshwater
About this species
This widely distributed sedge can reach about 1.5 metres. The guide records it on almost all of Tetiaroa’s motu, particularly around lakes and marshy areas.
Polynesians used its association with wet ground as a clue to freshwater. The source also records papermaking uses on other Pacific islands.
