Summer green and will grow to 2-3m tall, can form large colonies in marshy swampy places. It has long strap -shaped leaves which can be up to 3 cm long, these can be quite spongy. The flower and seed heads are quite distinctive and are barrel shaped.

Wetlands, river and lake edges, salt marshes. Introduced by Maori to the Chatham Islands, where it is now naturalised.

Uses the suns energy for photosynthesis

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/168629/0 (accessed 08/02/13)