Sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense) is a distinctive plant dominant in wetland ecosystems, particularly the Florida Everglades. Despite its common name, sawgrass is not a true grass; instead, it belongs to the sedge family (Cyperaceae). This perennial plant plays a significant role in its environment, providing habitat and influencing water flow in these unique landscapes.
Identifying Features of Sawgrass
Sawgrass grows as a tall, coarse, grass-like plant in dense, continuous stands. It commonly reaches heights of 3 to 6 feet, though some plants can grow up to 10 feet tall when flowering. Its robust growth comes from stout, underground rhizomes, forming extensive colonies.
Its most defining characteristic is its long, thin, strap-like leaves. They are typically grayish-green and stiff, often folding into a “V” shape at the midvein. The edges and often the underside of the midrib have fine, sharp, saw-like teeth or serrations, giving the plant its name and capable of cutting skin. This distinctive texture is easily felt by rolling a blade between your fingers.
Tall, slender flowering stalks emerge above the dense foliage. These stalks can extend several feet beyond the main leaves and bear clusters of small, brownish flowers or spikelets. The branched flower clusters are often rusty brown, with individual spikelets containing small, ovoid nutlets that serve as seeds. These seed heads can persist for months, providing food for various wildlife.
Distinguishing Sawgrass from Similar Plants
Sawgrass can be distinguished from other wetland plants like cattails or common reeds by key visual and tactile distinctions. While all three are tall and found in wet environments, their structures vary. Sawgrass leaves are uniquely characterized by their V-shaped cross-section and sharp, serrated edges along the margins and midrib. This contrasts with cattails, which have broad, flat, smooth leaves without such cutting edges.
Cattails (Typha spp.) are easily identified by their distinctive brown, sausage-shaped flower heads, which are absent in sawgrass. Sawgrass produces branched, more diffuse flower spikes that are typically brown or reddish-brown. Cattails often grow in denser, more uniform stands, and their leaves are generally wider and softer than sawgrass blades.
Common reeds (Phragmites australis) also differ from sawgrass. Common reeds are true grasses with round, hollow stems and flat leaves. Their flower heads are feathery and plume-like, ranging in color from purplish to tan, distinct from the more compact, spikelet clusters of sawgrass. Unlike sawgrass, common reed leaves lack the pronounced V-shape and the characteristic saw-toothed edges.