pingaon.
/ˈpiːŋ(ɡ)aʊ/, /ˈpɪŋ(ɡ)aʊ/, U.S. /ˈpiŋ(ɡ)aʊ/, /ˈpɪŋ(ɡ)aʊ/, New Zealand English /ˈpiːŋʌo/, /ˈpiːŋ(ɡ)æu/ New Zealand.
A New Zealand sedge, Desmoschoenus spiralis, which has golden-brown foliage and long rhizomes that help to stabilize sand dunes. Also called sand grass.
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the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > a grass or grasses > reedy or aquatic grasses > [noun] > sedges
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carexa1398
float-grassc1440
red sedge1480
sag1531
pry grassa1600
flea-grass1670
star-grass1782
sedge1785
sea sedge1796
sharp-pry-grass1803
blue star grass1807
whip-grass1814
flea-sedge1816
saw-grass1822
mud rush1824
tight-locka1825
nut grass1830
razor grass1834
twig-rush1836
nut rush1843
sand grass1856
mud sedge1859
niggerhead1859
nutsedge1861
pingao1867
sword-rush1875
tupak-grass1884
tussock-sedge1884
sennegrass1897
nigger's-head1921
1867 J. D. Hooker Handbk. N.Z. Flora II. 767 Pingae or pingao, Desmoschœnus spiralis.
1874 Trans. & Proc. N.Z. Inst. 1873 6 46 The pingao..and the Spinifex hirsutus, which may be obtained in unlimited quantities on all coast sand-hills in the colony.
1905 W. Baucke Where White Man Treads 2 White seashore sandhills..for..the wind..to pile into hillocks, until the wily pingau (native sand grass), creeping snakelike along,..bound [them] into masses.
1949 P. H. Buck Coming of Maori ii. iv. 156 The only other native colour to black, used in plaiting, was yellow obtained by using wefts of pingao, the leaves of which are a natural yellow.
2003 Christchurch (N.Z.) Press (Nexis) 11 Apr. 6 One coastal plant that lends drama to any garden is pingao, or golden sand sedge, with its honey- coloured leaves.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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