Ngā Rauropi Whakaoranga

wī, wīwī , kōpūngāwhā, kōpūpūngāwhā (generic terms for several species of rushes). 

rush

Used in making of hoop net, haokoeaea, used to catch koeaea (whitebait). (Makereti 1938)

Used for outer thatching of houses. Colenso mentions J. effusus (Colenso 1868a).

Wīwī more durable than toetoe-kākaho, Cortaderia, for making good thatch. (Best 1907)

In Murihiku, round whare were thatched with wīwī or tussock (Beattie 1994)

See Riley 1994 for information on medicinal uses of related plants elsewhere in the world.