Pingao is a plant that grows in the sand dunes. These environments are very dry and lack nutrients. The plant stems and roots are very tough, to reduce damage and water loss. It has a ropelike horizontal stem that runs through the sand dunes, holding the sand together. Its thin stem is excellent for weaving in tukutuku panels. This plant is now very rare in the wild
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These are 2 other photographs of this plant, Desmoeschenus spiralis.